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Sheriff

Alexander Compton

Wabash County Sheriff's Department — Mount Carmel, IL

Felonious

End of Watch December 20, 1906

Age 58

The Vigil Panel 21 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Sheriff Alexander Compton was shot and killed by an 17-year-old youth after he arrested his father.

Sheriff Compton had arrested the suspect's father on a breach of peace warrant taken out by his ex-wife, the suspect's mother. As he was escorting his father to jail the suspect came up behind him and shot him in the head.

The suspect and his father were arrested later that night and charged with Sheriff Compton's murder. Both were convicted of murder and sentenced to life. The father was paroled on January 19, 1925. His son applied for a parole in 1927 but the outcome is unknown.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IL-285AE139
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: September 9, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sheriff Compton served with the Wabash County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Mount Carmel community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Compton.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Wabash County Sheriff's Department

Type Sheriff's Office

Location Mount Carmel, Wabash County, IL

Platform Identity wcso.wabash.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 20, 1906

Age 58

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Shotgun

Sheriff Alexander Compton is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,784 officers honored here.

In IL, 842 of 1,318 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.9% of this state's fallen. That is 63.9 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

Wabash County Sheriff's Department

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

IL — Statewide

842

of 1,318 officers

63.9% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,784 officers

0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Alexander Compton's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

1 (0%)

Accident

1 (0%)

Illness

1 (0%)

Cardiac

1 (0%)

Undetermined

1 (0%)

Suicide

1 (0%)

How Alexander Compton Compares

Age at Death

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Alexander Compton is highlighted in Dec.

Jan

1,392

Feb

1,295

Mar

1,373

Apr

1,516

May

1,504

Jun

1,442

Jul

1,587

Aug

1,517

Sep

1,491

Oct

1,371

Nov

1,447

Dec

1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Alexander Compton was killed by shotgun.

Handgun

3,684

Gun

3,592

Gun; Unknown type

1,492

Shotgun

1,109

Rifle

935

Officer's handgun

909

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Wabash County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.