Aug. 21 marked the eighth anniversary of the commuter plane crash that took the life of Sheriff's Office Investigator Charlie Barton.
On Aug. 21, 1995, Barton was en route to Mississippi along with Deputy Tod Thompson to extradite a suspect. On the last leg of the flight from Atlanta to Gulfport the commuter plane developed engine trouble and crashed.
Barton's last moments were typical of his career: he stayed on the burning wreckage helping others off of the plane. He was critically injured after a large explosion and died the following day 14 hours after the incident. He was 57 years old. Because of Barton's efforts, only five other people died in the plane crash.
According to the Sheriff's Office, for those who had a chance to meet Barton they found him to be funny and immensely likeable. He also had the reputation of bringing in the toughest fugitives.