Wyatt Luther Nugent

Who was Wyatt Luther Nugent?

Wyatt Luther Nugent, also known as W. L. Nugent, was a sheriff of Grant Parish in north central Louisiana, who with a deputy, Delmer Lee Brunson, was slain in the line of duty. The crime, stemming from a dispute over the enforcement of the state's tick eradication law, is still considered the worst in Grant Parish history. Nugent, a Democrat, had been elected to a third term in the general election held on the day he was slain.

A former clerk of court in Grant Parish, Sheriff Nugent was the son of Matthew Columbus Nugent and the former Lucy E. Walker. He was married to the former Lydia Ann Rosier, daughter of Dan E. Rosier. The couple had eleven children.