James Herbert Fulford Jr.
Agency patch
Trooper

James Herbert Fulford Jr.

Florida Highway Patrol — Tallahassee, FL
Felonious
End of Watch February 1, 1992
Age 35
Tour of Duty 14 yrs
The Vigil Panel 137 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Trooper James Fulford was killed by a bomb while searching a vehicle. One suspect made the bomb, placed it inside a microwave, and gift wrapped it. He then paid a second male to deliver the package to his ex-wife, who had prior knowledge of a murder he had been involved with and had intimate knowledge of an active drug ring he was involved with. The male agreed to deliver the package thinking it only contained drugs. Trooper Fulford pulled over the car driven by a male and one of his associates. Both men were arrested during the traffic stop and taken to jail by two Jefferson County deputies. Shortly thereafter, Trooper Fulford was killed when the bomb exploded while searching the car. An explosive expert later determined that Trooper Fulford was holding the package when it exploded. Trooper Fulford's death prompted a state and federal investigation that broke apart a drug ring and led to the indictment of 28 people. The bomb maker was sentenced to death and was subsequently executed on February 26th, 2014. The male subject driving the vehicle was sentenced to 40 years. In addition, the brother of the bomb-maker was sentenced to life for first-degree murder. Trooper Fulford had served with the Florida Highway Patrol for 14 years. He is survived by his wife and two children. In 2014, the portion of I-10 between the Aucilla and Monticello exits was dedicated the "Trooper James Herbert Fulford Jr. Memorial Highway."

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FL-80937771
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.
Trooper Fulford gave the Florida Highway Patrol 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Florida. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Fulford.

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

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Tallahassee, FL
Platform Identity fhp.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 1, 1992
Tour of Duty 14 yrs
Age 35
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Explosives

Trooper James Herbert Fulford Jr. 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 97,772 officers honored here.

In FL, 539 of 1,008 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.5% of this state's fallen. That is 53.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Florida Highway Patrol, 23 of 54 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.6% of this agency's fallen.

Florida Highway Patrol
23
of 54 officers
42.6% Felonious
FL — Statewide
539
of 1,008 officers
53.5% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Herbert Fulford Jr.'s cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How James Herbert Fulford Jr. Compares

Age at Death
35
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
14
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James Herbert Fulford Jr. is highlighted in Feb.

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. James Herbert Fulford Jr. was killed by explosives.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Incident Location