William Francis Degan Jr.

United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service — Washington, DC

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch August 21, 1992

Age 42

The Vigil Panel 138 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 312

Incident

Deputy Marshal Bill Degan was shot and killed in Boundary County, Idaho, while conducting surveillance on a rural cabin owned by a man wanted on a federal bench warrant for failure to appear. Deputy Marshal Degan, along with two other deputy marshals, were scouting out the cabin and surrounding acreage in order to prepare operational plans to serve the warrant. As they neared the cabin the homeowner's dog alerted to their position. The homeowner's son and an adult friend then followed the dog into the woods as the deputy marshals retreated and took up a defensive position. As the two groups encountered each other the deputy marshals identified themselves but were immediately fired upon. Deputy Marshal Degan was struck by a shot from a .30-06 rifle, killing him instantly. The homeowner's son and dog were killed by return fire while the subject who shot Deputy Marshal Degan fled and returned to the cabin. Following a standoff in which the homeowner was wounded and his wife was fatally shot by an FBI sniper, the man's other family members and the subject who shot Deputy Marshal Degan were taken into custody. The man who shot Deputy Marshal Degan was later acquitted of federal murder charges in connection with Deputy Marshal Degan's death. Deputy Marshal Degan was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two sons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-3B10B2E8
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. William is one person.

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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 U.S. Marshal Degan served with the United States Department of Justice.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service

Type Federal Agency

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usms.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 21, 1992

Age 42

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle

Military Service

William Francis Degan Jr. served in the U.S. Marine Corps (1972â1975) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Deputy U.S. Marshal William Francis Degan 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 DC, 754 of 1,419 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.1% of this state's fallen. That is 53.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service, 251 of 313 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 80.2% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service

251

of 313 officers

80.2% Felonious

DC — Statewide

754

of 1,419 officers

53.1% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious