Howard Russell Bunting

Illinois Department of Conservation - Division of Law Enforcement — Springfield, IL

Accident

End of Watch February 23, 1957

Age 38

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

The Vigil Panel 92 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 12

Incident

Investigator Howard Bunting and Investigator John Fletcher were killed in an automobile accident while on duty in White County. Investigator Fletcher and Investigator Bunting were traveling northbound on Illinois Route 1 heading to a district meeting. As a driver who was traveling southbound attempted to slow his vehicle, the brakes grabbed, causing his vehicle to strike the side of the officer's vehicle. Investigator Fletcher and the other driver were killed instantly and Investigator Bunting died as a result of his injuries six days later. Investigator Bunting had served with the Illinois Department of Conservation for four years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IL-343ADE48
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.
Investigator Bunting gave the Illinois Department of Conservation 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Springfield community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Investigator Bunting.

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

Agency

Department Illinois Department of Conservation - Division of Law Enforcement

Location Springfield, IL

Platform Identity idcdlecons.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 23, 1957

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Age 38

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Investigator Howard Russell Bunting 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 IL, 354 of 1,318 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 26.9% of this state's fallen. That is 4.1 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.

At Illinois Department of Conservation - Division of Law Enforcement, 10 of 13 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 76.9% of this agency's fallen.

Illinois Department of Conservation - Division of Law Enforcement

of 13 officers

76.9% Accident

IL — Statewide

354

of 1,318 officers

26.9% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident