Roll of Honor

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Investigator

William Milton Pugh

United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Alcohol Tax Unit — Washington, DC

Felonious

End of Watch November 21, 1941

Age 49

The Vigil Panel 78 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 29

Incident

Investigator William Pugh was shot and killed while raiding a still at home in Hales Point, Tennessee. The shooter was convicted and executed for Investigator Pugh's murder on August 14, 1943. He is the only person ever executed by the federal government in Tennessee. The man had been previously sentenced to 21 years in prison for the murder of Deputy Sheriff Joseph Wyatt Lunsford, of the Lauderdale County, Tennessee, Sheriff's Office, on June 5, 1931. He had been paroled from that sentence on February 16, 1940.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Investigator Pugh served with the United States Department of the Treasury.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Investigator Pugh.

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

Agency

Department United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Alcohol Tax Unit

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usdtirsatufed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 21, 1941

Age 49

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Offender Executed in 1943

Investigator William Milton Pugh is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 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 1.1 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Alcohol Tax Unit, 12 of 30 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 40% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Alcohol Tax Unit

of 30 officers

40% Felonious

DC — Statewide

754

of 1,419 officers

53.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

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

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How William Milton Pugh Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

Offender Outcome

Executed in 1943

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Milton Pugh is highlighted in Nov.

Jan

1,392

Feb

1,295

Mar

1,373

Apr

1,517

May

1,505

Jun

1,443

Jul

1,587

Aug

1,516

Sep

1,553

Oct

1,371

Nov

1,447

Dec

1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William Milton Pugh was killed by shotgun.

Gun; Unknown type

5,083

Handgun

2,077

Shotgun

922

Officer's handgun

909

Automobile; Alcohol involved

530

Rifle

518

Incident Location

Others Who Wore This Badge

29 officers from United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Alcohol Tax Unit are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.