Doyle B. Duncan, Calhoun County Lawman

Calhoun County has a storied history concerning crime and punishment. Th ere have been some tough times when those who enforced the law also had to be tough. One of those lawmen was Doyle B. Duncan (1903 – 1986) who enforced Calhoun County law for 36 years including Sheriff from 1951 to 1971. I knew him personally, having visited in his home and eaten Mrs. Edna’s cooking as a boy. His son Harold married my older sister Hattie which gave me insight into the Duncan family. According to Harold Mr. Doyle began law enforcement as Constable at Harrell, AR when his uncle Seldon S. “Sell” Parker (1879 –1944) was Sheriff. Sheriff Parker served during the challenging prohibition period and investigated the discovery of a group of decapitated human skeletal remains that gained nation-wide notoriety in 1937. Mr. Doyle was also a Deputy of Sheriff Benton Ritchie (1901-1980). 

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