Edward G. J. Spilcker

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department — St. Louis, MO

Felonious

End of Watch January 31, 1915

Age 31

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

The Vigil Panel 29 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 175

Incident

Police Officer Edward Spilcker succumbed to wounds suffered three weeks earlier when he attempted to arrest two robbery suspects of a drugstore at Lucas Street and 11th Street. As he searched one of the suspects the other shot him with a .32 caliber automatic pistol. The two suspects were apprehended in Alton, Illinois, returned to St. Louis, and identified by Officer Spilcker before his death. Both were connected and admitted to police that they had committed at least 10 store and saloon robberies in the past five weeks since coming to St. Louis. In each robbery they locked the individual they robbed in an icebox. On March 17, 1915, both suspects, 34 and 25, were convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life. The oldest died in prison on September 1, 1942. The other subject escaped on February 23, 1935. No further information about him.

Survivors

Officer Spilcker had been with the agency for four years and was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MO-DF413819
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.
Police Officer Spilcker gave the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the St. Louis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Spilcker.

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

Agency

Department St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department

Location St. Louis, MO

Platform Identity stlopd.saintlouis.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 31, 1915

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Age 31

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .32 caliber

Offender Sentenced to 99 years

Police Officer Edward G. J. Spilcker 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 MO, 516 of 813 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.5% of this state's fallen. That is 9.3 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, 112 of 176 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.6% of this agency's fallen.

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department

112

of 176 officers

63.6% Felonious

MO — Statewide

516

of 813 officers

63.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious