Virgil H. McGee
Agency patch
Reserve Deputy

Virgil H. McGee

Jackson County Sheriff's Office — Lee's Summit, MO
End of Watch September 24, 1973
Age 51
Tour of Duty 3 yrs
The Vigil Panel 112 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Reserve Deputy Virgil McGee was shot and killed while working security for a Safeway store at 7318 Prospect Avenue at 7:42 p.m. Deputy McGee struggled with two youths who were attempting to rob one of the grocery store cashiers. During the scuffle, one subject fired, striking Deputy McGee twice. The 17-year-old suspect was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life on February 13, 1974. The accomplice became a habitual career felon, and in 1990, he was sentenced to 830 years plus life in prison. Deputy McGee was a United States Army WWII veteran and had served with the Jackson County Sheriff's Office for three years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, two sons, three daughters, three sisters, a brother, and eight grandchildren.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-MO-BBC770D3
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Reserve Deputy McGee gave the Jackson County Sheriff's Office 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Lee's Summit community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Lee's Summit, Jackson County, MO
Platform Identity jcso.jackson.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 24, 1973
Tour of Duty 3 yrs
Age 51
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Military Service

Virgil H. McGee served in the U.S. Army (1944–1946) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Reserve Deputy Virgil H. McGee 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 97,759 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 63.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Jackson County Sheriff's Office, 5 of 7 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 71.4% of this agency's fallen.

Jackson County Sheriff's Office
5
of 7 officers
71.4% Felonious
MO — Statewide
516
of 813 officers
63.5% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Virgil H. McGee's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Virgil H. McGee Compares

Age at Death
51
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
3
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Virgil H. McGee is highlighted in Sep.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Virgil H. McGee was killed by gun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Incident Location

Military Service

Virgil H. McGee served in the U.S. Army (1944–1946) before joining law enforcement.

Visit Virgil H. McGee’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.