Roll of Honor
Robert Fern McKinley
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Fern McKinley was killed in an automobile crash on Highway 59, south of Avoca, while responding to an other accident at approximately 8:40 pm.
It is believed that another car crowded his vehicle onto the soft shoulder of the roadway. He was partially ejected from the vehicle when it went down a 30-foot embankment and landed in Jim Creek. Nearby farmers who heard the crash responded to the scene and located his body.
Deputy McKinley was a U.S. Army veteran of WWI and had served with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office for eight years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, daughter, and mother.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IA-04161591- 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 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 McKinley gave the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Council Bluffs community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Robert Fern McKinley served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Deputy Sheriff Robert Fern McKinley is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In IA, 71 of 226 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.4% of this state's fallen. That is 0.4 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office, 3 of 5 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Robert Fern McKinley's cause is highlighted.
How Robert Fern McKinley Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Robert Fern McKinley is highlighted in Mar.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
4 officers from Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
