Robert Murphy

Buchanan County Sheriff's Office — Vansant, VA

Felonious

End of Watch August 17, 1905

The Vigil Panel 20 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Location: West Virginia Weapon: Rifle Offender: Charged with murder

Deputy Sheriff Robert Murphy was shot and killed in Logan County, West Virginia, after delivering a prisoner to the Logan County sheriff. The prisoner had been arrested in Buchanan County, Virginia, and was extradited back to West Virginia.

Deputy Murphy, the sheriff, and a third man were traveling on a railroad velocipede between Logan and Holden when a man fired a single shot from an ambush point along the tracks. The shot struck Deputy Murphy, killing him.

The suspect fled into the woods but was arrested later that night by a posse. Ironically, the posse was led by the suspect's father, who did not realize his son was the suspect. Investigation determined that the suspect intended to ambush a different group of men whom he had quarreled with earlier in the evening and that he opened fire on the lawmen in a case of mistaken identity. The suspect was charged with Deputy Murphy's murder.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-VA-8274F3B3
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 Murphy served with the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Vansant community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Murphy.

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

Agency

Department Buchanan County Sheriff's Office

Location Vansant, VA

Platform Identity bcso.buchanan.va.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 17, 1905

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle

Offender Charged with murder

Deputy Sheriff Robert Murphy 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 VA, 395 of 654 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 Buchanan County Sheriff's Office, 5 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 83.3% of this agency's fallen.

Buchanan County Sheriff's Office

of 6 officers

83.3% Felonious

VA — Statewide

395

of 654 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious