George Kenneth Wagner was born on December 19, 1929. At the time of the shooting of Red Callahan, Wagner was a 33-year-old ex-con and operator of the Copa Club at 4422 Clinton Highway. He had served a 4-month Federal prison term for a 1952 violation of the Mann Act as well as having several arrests for auto larceny, burglary, and several charges of loitering, disorderly conduct and prowling. He was charged with the murder of Red Callahan, but a Grand Jury later returned a not-true bill in conjunction with the charge. Soon after that Wagner’s beer license was surrendered and the club closed. Wagner died on July 28, 2005. He is buried in the Tennessee Veterans’ Cemetery.

Wesley G. Morgan, Ph.D.