The sister of a sheriff’s deputy slain nearly four decades ago and her supporters want to keep the man convicted of killing him in prison.

Arthur Myers, 58, was convicted in 1972 of killing DeSoto County Deputy Sheriff Larry Cox and sentenced to life in prison. Myers is scheduled to appear before the state Parole Board next month.

“If they let him out, I’ll feel very betrayed,” said Linda Lewis, Cox’s sister. “I don’t believe he has learned anything in (prison), especially since he got sent back last time he made parole.”

Myers previously was released but had his parole revoked in 2003 for being arrested with a stolen weapon. He has since been denied parole twice.

Southaven Police Chief Tom Long has joined others in sending letters against Myers to the Parole Board.

“I think if you get life in prison, you should serve life in prison,” he said. “There’s no lesson to be learned here. (Myers) should be paying his debt to society.”

According to court records, Myers shot Cox several times on July 26, 1970, during a traffic stop.

“It’s one day our family will never forget,” Lewis said.

Long said the same is true for local law enforcement officers.

“As years go by, people tend to get numb to what happened,” he said. “But, for us, it’s just as horrible as it was 38 years ago.”

Cox, who was 39, had pulled over the vehicle in which Myers was a passenger because its driver failed to stop at a four-way stop sign. Authorities said Cox was initially shot by Myers then again by his brother, Marvin Myers, in the back of the head before being struck with his own nightstick, robbed and left lying in the road.

“The coroner said he probably never knew what hit him. He died almost instantly,” Lewis said.

Marvin Myers served 10 years of a 20-year sentence before being released in 1981.