Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Lankford, Anthony C., 1954 

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ANTHONY CAREY LANKFORD

RITES TOMORROW FOR SLAIN MAN

   Anthony C. Lankford, 29, native of Capron and son of Mrs. Alice Carey 
Lankford and the late George Albert Lankford, was found slain in his 
bachelor apartment at Yardley, Pa., and a young man, William Wolf, 21, 
is being held in connection with the case.

   Funeral services will be conducted tomorrow at 11 o’clock at the 
Capron Methodist Church by the Rev. J.T. Cassell and burial will be in 
Capron Cemetery.  The body will be taken to the church directly upon 
arrival.  Lankford was a member of the Capron Methodist Church.

   Lankford, an insurance executive, was found in his apartment of 
Wednesday.  His throat was slashed and there were two bullet holes in 
his head.  Examination showed the Capron man died before the bullets 
were fired.

   According to police, Wolf has admitted the slaying.  He was arrested 
driving Lankford’s car in a township outside of Trenton near where Wolf 
lives.

   Police Chief Frederick Simpson said Wolf in an oral statement admitted 
slashing Landford’s throat with a broken whiskey bottle and later pumping 
two bullets into his head.

   At the time Lankford’s body was discovered, it was also determined 
that his wallet and cane were missing.  A 13-state alarm went out with 
the result that [...*]  Wolf yielded without a struggle and waived 
extradition to Pennsylvania.  He was turned over to the proper authorities.

   Lankford’s body was discovered by Mrs. Paul Wagner, wife of a Trenton 
automobile dealer, who owned the 35 acre estate where Lankford lived in a 
pine-paneled combination bedroom and living room apartment converted from 
a stable in "The Mansion House," name of the estate.  It is thought 
Lankford was killed either on Saturday night or early Sunday.  Police said 
Wolf unhesitatingly admitted the slaying and said he had met Lankford at a 
bar.

   Lankford’s father was for many years a member of the Southampton County 
School Board.  The slain man graduated at Capron High School and later 
attended the Virginia Military Institute.  He received a B.S. degree at 
the University of Richmond and died graduate work at the University of 
Pennsylvania.

   During World War II, he served the United States Navy with the rank of 
lieutenant, junior grade.  Since the war, he had been a supervisor of New 
Jersey for the Washington National Insurance Company.

   Besides his mother, Lankford is survived by a sister, Mrs. Virginia Wright 
Lankford, of Capron; and a brother, George Albert Lankford, Jr., an engineer 
with the United States Air Force stationed in Casablanca, North Africa.


Anthony Carey LANKFORD, insurance co. supervisor, Navy veteran of WW-II, 
Capron native, murdered 12 Jul 1954, at home, Yardley, PA, age 29, 
interred in Capron Cemetery**, 16 Jul 1954, 
"The Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), July 15, 1954, p. 1 

**His parents are also buried there. 
   Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project
   Capron list (C-24 & -25): 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/capron.txt 

His father's obit ("Tidewater News," May 26, 1950, p. 14) is posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/l521g2ob.txt 

*"The Tidewater News" was stored in the attic of the TN building for years 
before the LVA copied them.  There is a line running through the print at 
the top and middle of many of the papers and it effected many of the obits. 
I've put elipses for the part that's missing. If it's obvious what's said, 
I've tried to fill it in. (bs) 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), 
and re-formatted by File Manager. 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/l521a2ob.txt