William Conway Keirsey
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

William Conway Keirsey

Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch December 10, 1930
Age 36
Tour of Duty 10 yrs
The Vigil Panel 61 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy William Keirsey was shot and killed while he and the undersheriff were questioning two brothers about a stolen car at their home. Several days later one of the suspects was shot and killed by police in Wichita, Kansas. The other suspect was apprehended in Hereford, Texas. He was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death. His sentence was later commuted to life. On September 3, 1934, he died in prison at the age of 23 of complications from a stroke. Deputy Keirsey's uncle, police officer Ben Collins, of the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs, was shot and killed in the line of duty on August 1, 1906. His brother, Patrolman Jim Keirsey, was also shot and killed in the line of duty the previous year while serving with the Seminole Police Department. Deputy Keirsey, A WWI veteran, had been employed with the Carter County Sheriff's Office for ten years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-OK-422D2DCB
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.
Deputy Sheriff Keirsey gave the Carter County Sheriff's Office 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Ardmore 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 Ardmore, Carter County, OK
Platform Identity ccso.carter.ok.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 10, 1930
Tour of Duty 10 yrs
Age 36
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Military Service

William Conway Keirsey served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Deputy Sheriff William Conway Keirsey 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 OK, 403 of 582 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.2% of this state's fallen. That is 69.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

Carter County Sheriff's Office
1
of 1 officers
100% Felonious
OK — Statewide
403
of 582 officers
69.2% 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. William Conway Keirsey's cause is highlighted.

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

How William Conway Keirsey Compares

Age at Death
36
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
10
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Conway Keirsey is highlighted in Dec.

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. William Conway Keirsey was killed by gun.

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

Military Service

William Conway Keirsey served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.

Visit William Conway Keirsey’s page on salute.nw →

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

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Carter County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.