Sheriff Miesner was shot and killed by a prisoner during an escape attempt.

On November 1, 1944, another prisoner told the suspect where he could find a machine gun that was hidden behind a door. The suspect, Harold Goff, 28, opened fire on Sheriff Miesner in a stairwell killing him instantly. Sheriff Miesner sustained three gunshot wounds, two to the back and chest, one that entered the neck and ran up through the jaw and cheekbone. The suspect then escaped. Two days later the suspect walked out of a Henry County farm field and surrendered to officers who had been pursuing him. He was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison on April 17, 1945. Goff testified that he had confronted the sheriff with the gun and when the sheriff attempted to escape he shot him.

The prisoner who told the Goff where he could find the gun and offered him $1000 for Goff to take him with him, John Kenneth Holloway, 28, was also convicted of Sheriff Miesner's murder. He had planned the escape which was to include him. He was sentenced to life in prison on April 10, 1945. Also charged with murder was prisoner Goldie Smith who cooked and cleaned in the jail, who also conspired to take part in the escape accepting pills in a plan to drug the sheriff with, was to obtain handcuffs to restrain him and secreted an axe in the jail to aid in the escape.

On June 23, 1952, Holloway and three other inmates escaped from prison. He was captured near Warsaw, Missouri four days later.

Sheriff Miesner was serving his first term as sheriff and was a WWI veteran. Interred at Monsees Cemetery.