Charles Eckert

Louisville and Nashville Railroad Police Department — Louisville, KY

Felonious

End of Watch January 10, 1918

Age 50

The Vigil Panel 33 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 14

Incident

Location: Illinois Incident Date: Sunday, January 6, 1918 Weapon: Handgun Offender: Released in 1953

Special Officer Charles Eckert succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained four days earlier when he was shot in the Louisville and Nashville Railroad yards in East St. Louis, Illinois.

He was shot after stopping two men who were stealing coal from the railroad yards. The subject who shot him fled the scene. He was arrested in Trenton, Kentucky, by another railroad detective following an intensive eight month investigation spanning several states. The 37-year-old man was convicted of Special Officer Eckert's murder and sentenced to life in prison. He was released on February 20, 1953.

Officer Eckert, today marks the 104th anniversary of your passing due to the actions of a murderer. Your sacrifice has not been forgotten, and never will be. You are now and always will be a hero, Brother.

God Bless and may your eternal rest forever be peaceful.

Ptl. Jim Leahy, Jr. Harvard University Police Department January 10th, 2022

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-RR-B9B8433E
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Special Officer Eckert served with the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Louisville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Special Officer Eckert.

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

Agency

Department Louisville and Nashville Railroad Police Department

Location Louisville, KY

Platform Identity lnrpd.rr.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 10, 1918

Age 50

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Handgun

Offender Released in 1953

Special Officer Charles Eckert is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In KY, 755 of 983 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 76.8% of this state's fallen. That is 22.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Louisville and Nashville Railroad Police Department, 10 of 15 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Louisville and Nashville Railroad Police Department

of 15 officers

66.7% Felonious

KY — Statewide

755

of 983 officers

76.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious