Roll of Honor
Francis Marion Shepard
Incident
Constable Francis Shepard was shot and killed while attempting to arrest two brothers for theft.
He was shot twice in the chest as he approached the two. The suspects were both apprehended one year later and were lynched by a mob that broke into the jail.
Constable Shepard had previously served in the Civil War and is buried in Lima Cemetery in Fayette County, Iowa.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IA-C1C14EA4- 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.
Constable Shepard served with the Fayette County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the West Union community, and 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
Francis Marion Shepard served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Constable Francis Marion Shepard 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. Francis Marion Shepard's cause is highlighted.
How Francis Marion Shepard Compares
Offender Outcome
Lynched by mob
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Francis Marion Shepard is highlighted in Sep.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Francis Marion Shepard was killed by gun; unknown type.