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The Deputy in the Road - Carlton Mason Stearns
In this episode of Only Murders on the Harbor, we explore the mysterious death of Deputy Sheriff Carlton Mason Stearns, a cold case that has puzzled Grays Harbor County for nearly a century.
Born in 1894 in Deer Lodge, Tennessee, Stearns grew up facing tragedy and loss, including the early deaths of several half-sisters. By his teens, he was working in Hoquiam sawmills, later holding jobs in printing, retail, and trucking. In 1914, he married Edna McNamara and settled in Tacoma, building a life and family while rising through local law enforcement ranks.
By 1931, Stearns was Chief Criminal Deputy in Grays Harbor County, involved in enforcing Prohibition-era liquor laws and investigating local crimes. On a March night in 1936, he was sent to the remote Copalis Beach to check on thefts and burglaries at vacation homes. Hours later, his body was found on the highway under circumstances that shocked the community: a gunshot wound to the head, evidence of a struggle, and a missing service revolver.
Initial reports labeled the killing a murder, yet decades later, unpublished accounts and family manuscripts suggest a far murkier story. Questions remain about what truly happened that night: Was it a targeted attack? Was Stearns’ death connected to his law enforcement work? Or did darker, more personal forces play a role? The truth may never be fully known, but his story endures as one of the Northwest’s oldest unsolved law enforcement mysteries.
Today, Stearns is honored as an officer who died in the line of duty, yet the debate over his final moments continues—making this story part history, part legend.
📚 Sources
- The Daily Herald, March 10, 1936 — “Deputy Sheriff’s Body is Found in Road at Copalis” https://www.newspapers.com/image/1026097233/?match=1&terms=Carlton%20Stearns
- The Olympian, March 18, 1936 — “Award Posted for Deputy’s Slayers” https://www.newspapers.com/image/801902832/?match=1&terms=Carlton%20Stearns
- The Tacoma News Tribune, March 11, 1936 — “Mystery in Copalis Death Case Grows” https://www.newspapers.com/image/733396718/?match=1&terms=Carlton%20Stearns
- Officer memorial profile: https://behindthebadgefoundation.org/rollcall/stearns-deputy-carlton-m/
- Anderson, Rick. “The Deputy in the Road” (Seattle Weekly) — historical feature & manuscript analysis
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By Kaydee MittleiderIn this episode of Only Murders on the Harbor, we explore the mysterious death of Deputy Sheriff Carlton Mason Stearns, a cold case that has puzzled Grays Harbor County for nearly a century.
Born in 1894 in Deer Lodge, Tennessee, Stearns grew up facing tragedy and loss, including the early deaths of several half-sisters. By his teens, he was working in Hoquiam sawmills, later holding jobs in printing, retail, and trucking. In 1914, he married Edna McNamara and settled in Tacoma, building a life and family while rising through local law enforcement ranks.
By 1931, Stearns was Chief Criminal Deputy in Grays Harbor County, involved in enforcing Prohibition-era liquor laws and investigating local crimes. On a March night in 1936, he was sent to the remote Copalis Beach to check on thefts and burglaries at vacation homes. Hours later, his body was found on the highway under circumstances that shocked the community: a gunshot wound to the head, evidence of a struggle, and a missing service revolver.
Initial reports labeled the killing a murder, yet decades later, unpublished accounts and family manuscripts suggest a far murkier story. Questions remain about what truly happened that night: Was it a targeted attack? Was Stearns’ death connected to his law enforcement work? Or did darker, more personal forces play a role? The truth may never be fully known, but his story endures as one of the Northwest’s oldest unsolved law enforcement mysteries.
Today, Stearns is honored as an officer who died in the line of duty, yet the debate over his final moments continues—making this story part history, part legend.
📚 Sources
- The Daily Herald, March 10, 1936 — “Deputy Sheriff’s Body is Found in Road at Copalis” https://www.newspapers.com/image/1026097233/?match=1&terms=Carlton%20Stearns
- The Olympian, March 18, 1936 — “Award Posted for Deputy’s Slayers” https://www.newspapers.com/image/801902832/?match=1&terms=Carlton%20Stearns
- The Tacoma News Tribune, March 11, 1936 — “Mystery in Copalis Death Case Grows” https://www.newspapers.com/image/733396718/?match=1&terms=Carlton%20Stearns
- Officer memorial profile: https://behindthebadgefoundation.org/rollcall/stearns-deputy-carlton-m/
- Anderson, Rick. “The Deputy in the Road” (Seattle Weekly) — historical feature & manuscript analysis