Oliver Rufus Crosswhite

Greene County Sheriff's Office — Springfield, MO

Felonious

End of Watch January 2, 1932

Age 42

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

The Vigil Panel 63 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 9

Incident

Deputy Crosswhite was shot and killed as he attempted to enter a farmhouse in search of two suspects. Deputy Crosswhite had served in law enforcement for 10 years He served as constable in Polk county for five years, as Ash Grove city marshal for two years and as Greene County Deputy Sheriff for three years. He was survived by his wife, four sons, two daughters and his mother. Two brothers considered local petty burglars killed a total of seven Law Enforcement Officers. After they killed Town Marshal Mark Noe on June 2, 1929, a massive manhunt began for the suspects. The two suspects were located at the family farmhouse on January 2, 1932. They had come to town to visit their mother for the Christmas holiday. A raiding party of eleven officers was formed to arrest the two brothers. As the officers surrounded the farmhouse gunfire erupted and in the end six officers lay dead. The suspects escaped, and fled to Texas. They were located there by Houston Police and as police moved in the two suspects committed suicide.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, four sons, two daughters and his mother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MO-4B837925
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

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Crosswhite gave the Greene County Sheriff's Office 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Springfield community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Crosswhite.

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

Agency

Department Greene County Sheriff's Office

Location Springfield, MO

Platform Identity gcso.greene.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 2, 1932

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

Age 42

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Offender Committed suicide

Deputy Sheriff Oliver Rufus Crosswhite 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 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 9.3 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Greene County Sheriff's Office, 7 of 10 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 70% of this agency's fallen.

Greene County Sheriff's Office

of 10 officers

70% Felonious

MO — Statewide

516

of 813 officers

63.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious