Wesley Clayton Frame Jr.
Agency patch
Conservation Officer

Wesley Clayton Frame Jr.

End of Watch November 10, 1978
Age 29
Tour of Duty 1 yrs
The Vigil Panel 120 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Conservation Officer Wesley Frame was shot and killed near Rick Creek in Peterstown while supervising a prisoner cleaning a stream. Officer Frame had charged the man with littering in the stream after receiving a complaint. The complainant did not want the man fined so the magistrate placed the offender in Officer Frame's custody and instructed him to remove the debris from the stream and then be returned to court because he had an outstanding warrant in Virginia. The man told Officer Frame he needed his pickup truck from home in order to take the debris to the dump. Once at his home, the man retrieved a 30-06 hunting rifle and shot Officer Frame. The man fled to Akron, Ohio, with his wife and children but was arrested later in the evening. He was extradited back to West Virginia and was convicted of Officer Frame's murder. Officer Frame was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the agency for one year.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and son, and is buried in New Bealls Mill Cemetery, Gasaway, Braxton County, West Virginia.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-WV-CB849CA8
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.
Conservation Officer Frame gave the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the South Charleston 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 Other
Location South Charleston, WV
Platform Identity wvdnrlescons.kanawha.wv.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 10, 1978
Tour of Duty 1 yrs
Age 29
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Rifle

Military Service

Wesley Clayton Frame Jr. served in the the United States military (1971–1975) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Conservation Officer Wesley Clayton Frame Jr. 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 WV, 169 of 232 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 72.8% of this state's fallen. That is 72.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At West Virginia Division of Natural Resources - Law Enforcement Section, 3 of 3 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

West Virginia Division of Natural Resources - Law Enforcement Section
3
of 3 officers
100% Felonious
WV — Statewide
169
of 232 officers
72.8% 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. Wesley Clayton Frame Jr.'s cause is highlighted.

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

How Wesley Clayton Frame Jr. Compares

Age at Death
29
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
1
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Wesley Clayton Frame Jr. is highlighted in Nov.

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. Wesley Clayton Frame Jr. was killed by rifle.

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

Incident Location

Military Service

Wesley Clayton Frame Jr. served in the U.S. Navy (1971–1975) before joining law enforcement.

Visit Wesley Clayton Frame Jr.’s page on salute.nw →

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

Others Who Wore This Badge

2 officers from West Virginia Division of Natural Resources - Law Enforcement Section are honored on badge.nw.