Max R. Oldham

Albuquerque Police Department — Albuquerque, NM

Felonious

End of Watch February 21, 1959

Age 22

Tour of Duty 1 yrs

The Vigil Panel 94 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 14

Incident

Officer Oldham was killed when his police motorcycle was struck head-on by a drunk driver. The motorcycle was the same one that Officer Richard Armijo was killed on five months earlier. The 59-year-old driver was jailed on a drunk driving and manslaughter charge. On November 5, 1959, he pled no contest to the charges. The judge said he needed time to study the case and had him returned to jail. On Christmas Eve the judge had him released and deferred his sentence indefinitely. The driver died in 1964. Officer Oldham had served with the Albuquerque Police Department for 1 year.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NM-E76B7220
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.
Police Officer Oldham gave the Albuquerque Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Albuquerque community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Oldham.

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

Agency

Department Albuquerque Police Department

Location Albuquerque, NM

Platform Identity apd.bernalillo.nm.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 21, 1959

Tour of Duty 1 yrs

Age 22

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Automobile; Alcohol involved

Offender Not available

Police Officer Max R. Oldham 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 NM, 123 of 193 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.7% of this state's fallen. That is 9.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Albuquerque Police Department, 13 of 15 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 86.7% of this agency's fallen.

Albuquerque Police Department

of 15 officers

86.7% Felonious

NM — Statewide

123

of 193 officers

63.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious