Roll of Honor
Ralph N. Shaw
Incident
Special Agent Ralph Shaw and Special Agent James Lunn died in a plane crash during an operations flight in support of Mexico's opium eradication program. The single-engine de Havilland Beaver crashed into a 12,000-foot mountain near Atoyac de Alvarez, Mexico, during a period of low visibility due to a thick haze. Mexican federal narcotics agent Noe Echaustegui was also killed in the crash. Special Agent Shaw had served with the Drug Enforcement Administration for eight years. He had previously served with the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service for six years and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office.
Survivors
He was survived by his parents, brother, and sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-D5BAAE42- 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.
Special Agent Shaw gave the United States Department of Justice 14 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Special Agent Shaw.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Special Agent Ralph N. Shaw is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 653 of 2,421 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27% of this state's fallen. That is 4 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, 20 of 38 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 52.6% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Ralph N. Shaw's cause is highlighted.
How Ralph N. Shaw Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Ralph N. Shaw is highlighted in May.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
37 officers from United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
