Robert Lewis McGhee, Jr.

United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service — Washington, DC

Felonious

End of Watch May 26, 1990

Age 50

The Vigil Panel 136 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 39

Incident

Park Ranger Robert McGhee was shot and killed in the Gulf Islands National Seashore Park, Mississippi, by two convicts who had escaped from a Florida correctional facility. The convicts were able to steal a .38 caliber revolver from one of the corrections officers during the escape.

A female hostage the two had taken was able to escape and notified police of their location, causing the suspects to flee into the park. Ranger McGhee stopped the suspects when they ran a stop sign, not knowing that they were wanted. During the stop the suspects opened fire, killing Ranger McGhee.

The suspects were apprehended after a shootout with another police officer in which one of the suspects was wounded. They were found guilty of murder of a federal police officer and sentenced to life in prison.

One of the suspects, John Woolard, later escaped from Parchman Prison in 2000 with yet another prisoner. He was recaptured, after an extensive manhunt, in Lowell, Indiana.

Survivors

Ranger McGhee was survived by his wife, Linda, and their daughter Karla, and Kevin McGhee.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-98A74F76
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.
Park Ranger McGhee served with the United States Department of the Interior.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Park Ranger McGhee.

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

Agency

Department United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usdinpsfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 26, 1990

Age 50

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .38 caliber

Offender Sentenced to life

Park Ranger Robert Lewis McGhee, Jr. 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 Interior - National Park Service, 8 of 40 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 20% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service

of 40 officers

20% Felonious

DC — Statewide

754

of 1,419 officers

53.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious