Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff May was shot and killed by two cousins he had removed a weapon from earlier. They returned to town after getting another gun and shot and killed Sheriff May. One suspect turned himself and the other was captured. The shooter was convicted of murder and sentenced to life. He was pardoned by Governor S. W. T. Lanham on December 22, 1906. His cousin was sentenced to 40 years and pardoned September 4, 1900. Sheriff May had been with the agency for two years.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-8B006F6C- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
137 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Sheriff May gave the Grayson County Sheriff's Office 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Sherman community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff Robert L. May 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 97,756 officers honored here.
In TX, 1,460 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.3% of this state's fallen. That is 60.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Grayson County 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.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Robert L. May's cause is highlighted.
How Robert L. May Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Robert L. May is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Robert L. May was killed by gun.
Others Who Wore This Badge
5 officers from Grayson County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
