Roll of Honor
Incident
Special Officer Wishart was shot and killed by a man who was attempting to illegally dump rubbish in a graveyard on West 9th Street. Officer Wishart had been appointed to guard the graveyard to prevent illegal dumping by several individuals.
One of the men came to the scene with his workers and informed Officer Wishart he was going to dump the rubbish in the crematory. When Officer Wishart informed him he would not be permitted to do so, the man produced two .38 caliber revolvers and opened fire. Despite being fatally wounded, Officer Wishart was able to return fire but did not strike the suspect.
Officer Wishart was taken to the city hall where he died from his wounds the following day.
The suspect was a notorious former lawman known for his ruthlessness. He was arrested after shooting Officer Wishart and taken to the local jail. An angry mob was prevented from lynching him by the local militia. The suspect was eventually convicted of murder and sentenced to 4 years in prison, but was pardoned by the governor after serving only 2 years.
Officer Wishart was survived by his wife and three children.
Survivors
Officer Wishart was survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IA-B414831C- 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
135 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Special Officer Wishart gave the Des Moines Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Des Moines community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Special Officer Edward H. "Elijah" Wishart 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%.
At Des Moines Police Department, 16 of 27 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 59.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Edward H. "Elijah" Wishart's cause is highlighted.
How Edward H. "Elijah" Wishart Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to 6 years
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Edward H. "Elijah" Wishart is highlighted in Jul.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Edward H. "Elijah" Wishart was killed by handgun; .38 caliber.
Others Who Wore This Badge
26 officers from Des Moines Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
