Lemuel R. Boyce
Agency patch
Police Officer

Lemuel R. Boyce

Felonious
End of Watch March 31, 1907
Age 32
Tour of Duty 1 yrs
The Vigil Panel 21 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Boyce was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a burglary suspect. Officer Boyce had retired earlier in the day but was finishing out his shift on his last day of work. He had been with the agency for one year. Six months later a 17-year-old boy, in a St. Louis reformatory school, was arrested and confessed to the murder. He was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to life. He died in the state prison hospital on June 24, 1908.

Survivors

Officer Boyce was survived by his daughter and father.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-MO-AB99E471
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

You barely got started.
Police Officer Boyce gave the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the St. Louis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Boyce.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location St. Louis, MO
Platform Identity stlopd.saintlouis.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 31, 1907
Tour of Duty 1 yrs
Age 32
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

Police Officer Lemuel R. Boyce 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 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 63.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

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
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Lemuel R. Boyce's cause is highlighted.

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

How Lemuel R. Boyce Compares

Age at Death
32
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
1
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Lemuel R. Boyce is highlighted in Mar.

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. Lemuel R. Boyce was killed by handgun.

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