Sheriff David Warren swears in new Deputy

Sheriff David Warren swore in a new Deputy Sheriff on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Brock Carter took the oath of office and received his Deputy Sheriff “Investigator” badge in the presence of his co-workers and friends, to commemorate this special occasion.

Brock graduated from the West Central Texas Council of Governments Law Enforcement Academy in 1991, and later began his law enforcement career with the Jones County Sheriff’s Office. In 1999, he joined the Nolan County Sheriff’s Office and was assigned to the Jail, where he worked as a jailer, before being promoted to Assistant Jail Administrator. He then was reassigned to Patrol and worked his way up to the level of Sergeant, until he left in 2015.

Brock then served as Chief of Police at the Texas State Technical College Police Department, in Sweetwater for several years before he retired in 2021. He then worked as a security officer at Rolling Planes Memorial Hospital, prior to returning to the Nolan County Sheriff’s Office.

Brock will be assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division, taking on the duty of Criminal Investigator. We’re excited to have Deputy Sheriff Brock Carter back as part of our team, as he brings years of knowledge and experience in law enforcement. We wish him the best and look forward to his service.

Sheriffs’ Association of Texas presents letter to Governor Abbott.

Nolan County Sheriff David Warren was one of many other Texas Sheriffs’ in a letter presented to Governor Abbott by the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas, requesting that our dangerous, chaotic “Texas Border Emergency,” be officially declared a United States Constitutional Crisis and Crimes Against Humanity and that the United States Government without delay assist in securing the border.

Theft (Sweetwater)

On Thursday, January 11, 2024, the Sweetwater Police Department received a report of a theft that occurred at Brooks Diesel Service in the 9500 block of Interstate Twenty, in Sweetwater. It was reported that sometime between Thursday, January 4, 2024, and Thursday, January 11, 2024, at 6:00PM, an unknown person(s) used force to enter a building on the property. Once inside, the thieve(s) took numerous hand, air, and power tools, a toolbox and a couple of semi-truck tractors. The combined value of the property taken and damage to the property is estimated at approximately $100,000.00.

If you have information regarding this crime or any other unsolved crime, and wish to remain anonymous, call Nolan County Crime Stoppers at 325.235.TIPS (8477) or click here to submit a tip online. Nolan County Crime Stoppers offers a reward of up to $1,000.00 for information that leads to the arrest and filing of charges against the person responsible for this crime, and a reward of up to $1,000.00 for any other unsolved felony crime. Remember, Crime Stoppers wants your INFORMATION not your name.

The Nolan County Sheriff’s Office mourns the death of former Sheriff Donnie Rannefeld


Saturday, December 9, 2023 – Donnie Rannefeld, age 80, passed away peacefully at his home in Abilene on Saturday, December 9th, 2023. Rannefeld served as Nolan County Sheriff for three terms from 1997 until 2009. Prior to becoming Sheriff, Rannefeld had a full career with the Texas Department of Public Safety as a Trooper for over 26 years. Rannefeld even came back out of retirement from being Sheriff and served another 3 ½ years as a Deputy for the NCSO doing prisoner transports. All together Rannefeld had 45 years of full-time service as a dedicated Texas Peace Officer.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Nita, daughter Melissa, and grandsons Zach and Chase. Donnie Rannefeld leaves behind a legacy of public service and many close friends in law enforcement. He will be dearly missed.

Funeral services will be at 2:00 P.M. Friday, December 15, 2023 at First Baptist Church in Sweetwater with Rev. Tique Hamilton officiating. Interment will follow at Roscoe Cemetery directed by McCoy Funeral Home.

Sheriff David Warren

Eastland County Deputy Sheriff David Bosecker

Deputy Sheriff David Bosecker was shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call along Highway 183 between Cisco and Rising Star.

As he arrived on the scene a male subject opened fire on him, fatally wounding him. Other responding officers took the subject into custody. The man was charged with capital murder.

The suspect in the fatal shooting of Deputy Sheriff David Bosecker has identified as 42-year-old Cody Pritchard.

Deputy Bosecker had served with the Eastland County Sheriff’s Office for two years and had served in law enforcement for 21 years. He had previously served with the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Comanche Police Department. He also worked as a part-time marine enforcement officer for the Cisco Police Department.

“God, I pray that you’ll work in a very, very special way in their lives. I pray that the God of all grace, the God of all mercy, will comfort them in this time as they grieve in the very, very difficult days ahead. In Jesus’ precious name, amen,”

“You and I will go home to our families tonight. These guys that put on the uniform aren’t really sure whether they’ll make it home or not tonight, but they’re still human beings, just like we are… I would encourage them that even six months to a year from now, to still come up and say, ‘I still remember you, I’m still praying for you.’ And that really means a lot to an officer,” – Chaplin Ron Leonard, Law Enforcement Outreach Program ‘Operation Safety 91’