Detective Monty Conley died August 5, 1985, as a result of a traffic accident while investigating a narcotic’s case. Also killed was his partner, Detective Joseph Landin. A driver ran a stop sign and slammed into the deputies’ patrol unit on the Highway 99 and Avenue 120 off ramp.

The driver was subsequently sentenced to five years, four months in prison on the conviction of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.

The deputies were members of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Narcotic’s Task Force. Prior to joining the Department, Conley worked as a patrol officer for Woodlake Police Department from 1972 to 1973.

Conley joined the Sheriff’s Department in 1973. He worked in various divisions, most recently serving as assistant commander of the narcotics division. He was voted Officer of The Year by the Visalia Optimists Club this spring and was a member of the California Narcotics Task Force.

Conley was born in Shamrock, Texas, and moved to Woodlake in 1955. He attended Woodlake High School and College of the Sequoias and became Woodlake’s youngest police officer at age 19.

He lived in Woodlake with is wife, Rosalie, and their 7-year-old son, Matthew Earl.