William Harlan Pogue
Agency patch
Game Warden

William Harlan Pogue

Felonious
End of Watch January 5, 1981
Age 50
Tour of Duty 25 yrs
The Vigil Panel 123 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Game Warden Bill Pogue and Game Warden Conley Elms were shot and killed while attempting to arrest a poacher at a campsite along the South Fork in Owyhee County. The suspect was captured 15 months later. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to 30 years. Despite escaping prison and being on the run for a year, he was released from prison in February 2005. Warden Pogue had served with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game for 25 years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-ID-15D5C3AF
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

25 years. You could have gone home.
Game Warden Pogue gave the Idaho Department of Fish and Game 25 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Boise community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Game Warden Pogue.

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

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Boise, ID
Platform Identity idahcons.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 5, 1981
Tour of Duty 25 yrs
Age 50
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Rifle

Game Warden William Harlan Pogue 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 97,772 officers honored here.

In ID, 44 of 71 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 62% of this state's fallen. That is 62 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Idaho Department of Fish and Game, 2 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 40% of this agency's fallen.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game
2
of 5 officers
40% Felonious
ID — Statewide
44
of 71 officers
62% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Harlan Pogue's cause is highlighted.

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

How William Harlan Pogue Compares

Age at Death
50
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
25
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Harlan Pogue is highlighted in Jan.

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 Harlan Pogue 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