Police Chief Carl Ellis Worley | Ross Township Police Department
Age: 57
Served: 13 years
1996 to January 26, 2010
OFFICER
Carl was born on July 14, 1952 in Dayton, Ohio to Joseph Elvis and Mariam Eva (Ellis) Worley. He graduated from Lebanon High School and attended Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky.
On February 28, 1976 he married Kathy Howard in Lebanon, Ohio. Through the years, Carl was employed in many different arenas including Worley Dog Training and Boarding in Sharonville, Regional Supervisor for Red Lobster, and Director of Operations for Burbank’s Barbecue.
About 1996, Carl graduated from Butler County Police Academy and joined the Ross Township Police Department as a Police Officer. Before mid-2004, he was promoted to Sergeant. He was then promoted to Police Chief by mid-2005. By 2009, he was managing a force of two fulltime officers, eight parttime officers, and three auxiliary officers.
INCIDENT
On January 26, 2010, about 1:00 p.m., Chief Worley and other Ross Township and area officers responded to the 1400 block of New London Road for a report of burglary. One officer found footprints and began to follow them. Then Chief Worley found another set and advised that he was tracking them. Later, when officers tried to contact Chief Worley, he did not respond.
DEATH
About 2:00 p.m., a Hamilton City Police lieutenant found Chief Worley slumped over in his vehicle in the Forest Run Nature Preserve at 1810 Hamilton New London Road. The lieutenant applied CPR until the ambulance arrived and then he was taken to Fort Hamilton Hospital. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. An autopsy revealed that he had suffered a heart attack caused by three vessel coronary artery disease.
He was survived by his wife, Kathy Worley; siblings, Jack (Barbara) Worley and Janice (Don) Baird, mother-in-law, Mollie D. Howard; sister-in law, Cindy (Garry) Hamric, and brothers-in law, Mike Howard and Steve Howard.
Visitation was held on Friday, January 29, 2010 at Ross High School in Ross, Ohio. Funeral services were held on Saturday. An honor procession began on Saturday at 10:00 am at Charles C. Young Funeral Home, 4032 Hamilton Cleves Road and traveled to the funeral service at Ross High School. His cremains were given to his wife.
If you know of any information, artifacts, archives, or images regarding this officer or incident, please contact the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum at Memorial@Police-Museum.org.
© This narrative was further researched and revised on October 5, 2022, by Cincinnati Police Lieutenant Stephen R. Kramer (Retired), Greater Cincinnati Police Historical Society President. All rights are reserved to him and the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum.