Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff Strain succumbed to a gunshot wound received five days earlier while attempting to arrest a man for making threats. The suspect was hiding in a cornfield and shot Sheriff Strain in the abdomen with a shotgun as the sheriff searched for him. The suspect, who fled the scene and remained at large for 42 years, was finally recognized by a citizen and apprehended in Spokane, Washington. The murder warrant was sent for, but before it could be served the suspect died. He was 86.
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BO-US-IA-28D5852B- Stewardship
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- 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.
Sheriff Strain served with the Monona County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Onawa community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Strain.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff William E. Strain 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 IA, 129 of 226 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.1% of this state's fallen. That is 2.9 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William E. Strain's cause is highlighted.
How William E. Strain Compares
Offender Outcome
Apprehended in 1944
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William E. Strain is highlighted in Sep.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William E. Strain was killed by shotgun.