Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Bliss Magly and Deputy Sheriff Brent Jameson were killed when their Sheriff’s Department helicopter crashed and burned in heavy fog approximately one-half mile south of the Sonoma County Airport between River Road and Laughlin Road. Deputy Magly and Deputy Jameson were at home when they were called to help search for a shooting suspect in the area of Ludwig Avenue east of Llano Road between Sebasopol and Santa Rosa. Deputy Jameson was the pilot, and Deputy Magly was the helicopter observer, and they were returning to the airport at 8:50 p.m. Deputy Magly had served with the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office for three years. He was survived by his wife and parents. To honor the deputies, scholarships were opened in their names at Santa Rosa Junior College to assist deserving criminal justice students. The annual Sheriff’s Department awards banquet was started as a result of this tragedy as a way to recognize the outstanding work of Sheriff’s Department employees properly. The first banquet was dedicated to Deputies Jameson and Magly, who were posthumously awarded Gold Medals of Valor. He is buried at Santa Rosa Memorial Park.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and parents.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-EA1B5BF6- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Magly gave the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Santa Rosa community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Magly.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff Bliss Steven Magly is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.
In CA, 719 of 1,837 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.1% of this state's fallen. That is 39.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, 3 of 7 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 42.9% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Bliss Steven Magly's cause is highlighted.
How Bliss Steven Magly Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Bliss Steven Magly is highlighted in Oct.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
6 officers from Sonoma County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
