John David Murphree

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Law Enforcement Division — Austin, TX

Felonious

End of Watch December 8, 1963

Age 33

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

The Vigil Panel 99 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 13

Incident

Game Warden John Murphree was shot and killed by a 16-year-old boy who was illegally hunting ducks in Jasper County.

Warden Murphree came upon the boy and three others hunting in a flooded field five miles south of Mauriceville the boy shot him twice as he approached them. Warden Murphree suffered shotgun wounds to his abdomen and the back of his head.

The boy who shot him was arrested and charged with murder. In a written statement he said when he saw Warden Murphree he started to flee, tripped, and the shotgun accidentally went off twice. The other men 18, 28, and 38, were charged with game violations. The boy was convicted of murder with malice and sentenced to 2 years.

Warden Murphree was survived by his wife and three school age children. Warden Murphree had no insurance. The State of Texas agreed to pay his widow the amount of money that he would make in one year.

Survivors

Warden Murphree was survived by his wife and three school age children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-5D184B26
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.
Game Warden Murphree gave the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Austin community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Game Warden Murphree.

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

Agency

Department Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Law Enforcement Division

Type Other

Location Austin, TX

Platform Identity tpwdledcons.travis.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 8, 1963

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

Age 33

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Shotgun

Game Warden John David Murphree 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 TX, 1,461 of 2,422 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.3% of this state's fallen. That is 60.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Law Enforcement Division, 4 of 14 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 28.6% of this agency's fallen.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Law Enforcement Division

of 14 officers

28.6% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,461

of 2,422 officers

60.3% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious