Roll of Honor
Mansel Ross Burrell
Incident
Special Agent Mansel Burrell was shot and killed by drug traffickers while working an undercover heroin investigation in Gary, Indiana. At 8:30 pm, another agent and two Gary police officers observed Agent Burrell enter the suspect's apartment. About 45 minutes later, Agent Burrell left the premises in his government-issued vehicle with the suspect and a male subject following in their vehicle. The other agent followed both vehicles, lost them in traffic, but found Agent Burrell's vehicle parked in an alley near the suspect's apartment 15 minutes later. After surveilling Agent Burrell's vehicle for two hours, the other subject was observed entering the vehicle and drive away. Within blocks, the car was stopped and while searching the subject, marked currency was found that had been carried by Agent Burrell. The suspect was arrested, taken to the Gary police station and, after over four hours, told officers interrogating him that the other suspect shot Agent Burrell four times in the head in a wooded area of Gary, before dumping his body in Illinois. Agent Burrell's body was found, at 7:55 am, in a cornfield one-half mile south of U.S. 30 in Bloom Township in Cook County, after the suspect agreed to direct officers to the location. The shooter pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison, where he later died. The other suspect, a half-brother to the shooter, was convicted of second-degree murder, but on appeal his conviction was reversed. Agent Burrell had served with the Bureau of Narcotics for 15 months and was assigned to the Chicago Division. He was the youngest federal narcotics agent to be killed in the line of duty.
Survivors
Agent Burrell was survived by his parents, brother and sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-235951A5- 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
You barely got started.
Special Agent Burrell gave the United States Department of the Treasury 1 year.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Special Agent Burrell.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Special Agent Mansel Ross Burrell 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 TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At United States Department of the Treasury - Bureau of Narcotics, 4 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Mansel Ross Burrell's cause is highlighted.
How Mansel Ross Burrell Compares
Offender Outcome
Died in prison
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Mansel Ross Burrell is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Mansel Ross Burrell was killed by gun; unknown type.
Others Who Wore This Badge
5 officers from United States Department of the Treasury - Bureau of Narcotics are honored on badge.nw.
