Louis Henry Wagner II

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office — Covington, LA

Felonious

End of Watch June 3, 1978

Age 25

The Vigil Panel 120 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Sergeant Louis Wagner was shot and killed in an ambush as he drove home from the sheriff's office. His body was found in front of a business along Louisiana 21 south of the Covington city limits. It is suspected the assailant hid in the rear of his pickup truck while it was parked at the sheriff's office and surprised him as he drove home. Sergeant Wagner's body was located in front of the business while his truck was found at a different location several hours later. While one felon was on death row for capital murder, he pleaded to second-degree murder for killing Sergeant Wagner with three other men in retaliation for an arrest Sergeant Wagner had made. The felon received another life sentence for Sergeant Wagner's murder. He ultimately recanted the accusations against the other men, and they were never tried for his murder. Years later, another serial killer confessed to killing Sergeant Wagner, but authorities concluded he could not have committed the murder. Because of the other confession, the felon recanted his confession. He claimed his confession to the murder was because he believed he could escape from the St. Tammany Parish jail while awaiting sentencing. He was executed in 1984.

Survivors

Sergeant Wagner was survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-LA-BD215F3D
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.
Sergeant Wagner served with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Covington community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Wagner.

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

Agency

Department St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office

Type Sheriff's Office

Location Covington, LA

Platform Identity stpso.sttammany.la.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 3, 1978

Age 25

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Sergeant Louis Henry Wagner II 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 LA, 364 of 595 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.2% of this state's fallen. That is 61.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office, 3 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office

of 6 officers

50% Felonious

LA — Statewide

364

of 595 officers

61.2% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious