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Lynching of Will Sherod

UNSOLVED1927Braggadocio, Missouri3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Will Sherod (born around 1896–1897) was a Black man lynched in Braggadocio, Missouri, on May 22, 1927. The lynching followed an alleged assault the previous night on Ella Hendershot, a 31-year-old widow with two children. According to the account, Hendershot called a police constable after the assault and provided a description of her attacker, which led police to suspect Sherod.

On May 22, 1927, officers attempted to arrest Sherod. During the attempt, he tried to flee, and an officer fired two shots, striking him in the right arm and right shoulder. Sherod was then taken to the county jail in nearby Caruthersville rather than being held locally.

Later that day, at around 10 o'clock, a mob of approximately 20 men from Braggadocio abducted Sherod, apparently from custody, and transported him back to the town. Roughly half an hour later, the mob hanged him from temporary scaffolding erected in the town square. Sherod's body was found to have approximately twelve bullet wounds in addition to the hanging. His body was left on display at the scaffolding until the following morning, when county officers arrived to investigate.

In the aftermath, no members of the mob were ever identified or prosecuted. The sheriff stated that most of the mob wore masks during the abduction and killing, and that he was unable to recognize the few who did not. No witnesses came forward to identify any participants in the mob, and the case remains formally unresolved with no individuals ever charged or convicted.

Key facts

Victims
Ella Hendershot, Will Sherod
Date
1927
Location
Braggadocio, Missouri
Case status
unsolved

Case timeline

  1. 1896

    Approximate birth year of Will Sherod (birth year given as circa 1896–1897).

  2. 1927-05-21

    Ella Hendershot, a 31-year-old widow, was assaulted in the evening; she called a police constable and described the perpetrator.

  3. 1927-05-22

    Police attempted to arrest Will Sherod based on Hendershot's description; he tried to flee and was shot twice, in the right arm and right shoulder, then taken to the county jail in Caruthersville.

  4. 1927-05-22

    At around 10 o'clock, a mob of about 20 men from Braggadocio abducted Sherod and brought him back to town.

  5. 1927-05-22

    Approximately half an hour after the abduction, the mob hanged Sherod on temporary scaffolding in the town square; his body bore about twelve bullet wounds.

  6. 1927-05-23

    County officers came to investigate after Sherod's body had been left on display overnight.

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People

  • Ella Hendershot

    VICTIM

    31-year-old widow with two children who was assaulted on May 21, 1927; her description of the perpetrator led police to suspect Will Sherod.

  • Will Sherod

    VICTIM

    30-year-old Black man shot while being arrested, then abducted from custody and lynched by a mob in Braggadocio, Missouri, on May 22, 1927.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Braggadocio, Missouri

36.1753, -89.8294

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Will Sherod, a 30-year-old Black man, was shot while being arrested and then abducted from a jail and hanged by a mob of about 20 men in Braggadocio, Missouri, on May 22, 1927, following the alleged assault of a woman. No one was ever charged.
Where did the crime happen?
Braggadocio, Missouri.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: unsolved.
More cases in Missouri

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICLynching of Will SherodWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. PRESSThe Jim Crow Era: A Solemn Roll Call of Those Brutally Murderedpoliticsny.com · 2026-07-10
  3. PRESSLynching of Will Sherrodozarks-history.blogspot.com · 2026-07-10