Charles Straining Rathell

Maryland State Police — Pikesville, MD

Accident Veteran →

End of Watch September 18, 1973

Age 27

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

The Vigil Panel 112 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 41

Incident

Trooper First Class Charles Rathell and Trooper First Class Donald Parkerson were killed when their Bell Jet Ranger helicopter crashed near the intersection of Muirkirk Road and Route 1. They were attempting an emergency landing after an engine failure at 5:15 p.m. Trooper Rathell was a United States Navy veteran and had served with the Maryland State Police for almost six years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, parents, and sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MD-0E0C5A52
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.
Trooper First Class Rathell gave the Maryland State Police 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Maryland, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Maryland State Police

Location Pikesville, MD

Platform Identity msp.md.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 18, 1973

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 27

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Charles Straining Rathell served in the Navy (1965â1967) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Trooper First Class Charles Straining Rathell 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 MD, 140 of 377 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 37.1% of this state's fallen. That is 6.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Maryland State Police, 28 of 42 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Maryland State Police

of 42 officers

66.7% Accident

MD — Statewide

140

of 377 officers

37.1% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident