Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Wagstaff was beaten to death while supervising an early morning work crew on a dairy farm. Two inmates attacked Officer Wagstaff with a pair of hoof clippers and beat him severely. They then buried him in a pile of grain, causing him to suffocate. The two inmates attempted to flee but were arrested a short time later. One of the inmates was convicted of the murder and was later paroled. Officer Wagstaff had served with the Department of Corrections for 13 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, two children, and seven grandchildren.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-UT-C35E179F- 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.
Correctional Officer Wagstaff gave the Utah Department of Corrections 13 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Utah. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Wagstaff.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Correctional Officer Donald Wagstaff 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 UT, 84 of 138 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.9% of this state's fallen. That is 6.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Utah Department of Corrections, 5 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Donald Wagstaff's cause is highlighted.
How Donald Wagstaff Compares
Offender Outcome
Paroled
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Donald Wagstaff is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Donald Wagstaff was killed by blunt object.
Others Who Wore This Badge
4 officers from Utah Department of Corrections are honored on badge.nw.
