Roll of Honor
Incident
City Marshal William Sprinkle was shot and killed by a man who was attempting to help a friend escape. Marshal Sprinkle had arrested another subject who was unable to post bail was ordered held at the city jail. As Marshal Sprinkle walked the man to jail a second subject approached and demanded that the prisoner be released. Several prominent citizens exited their offices, armed with revolvers, and ordered the man to drop his gun. The man turned and opened fire, wounding one of the citizens. A running gun battle ensued in which Marshal Sprinkle was fatally wounded. The two men fled and were pursued by a crowd from the main area of town. The man who attempted to free the prisoner was unable to continue to run, due to being wounded in the gun battle, and killed himself before the crowd could overtake him. The other subject was later captured in Campbell, Missouri, and sent to the Stoddard County Jail in Bloomfield, Missouri. He was later abducted from the county jail by a lynch mob and hung just south of Bloomfield.
Survivors
Marshal Sprinkle was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-MO-55AF0A9E- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
134 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
City Marshal Sprinkle served with the Dexter Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Dexter community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
City Marshal William Sprinkle 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 MO, 516 of 813 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.5% of this state's fallen. That is 9.3 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 Sprinkle's cause is highlighted.
How William Sprinkle Compares
Offender Outcome
One lynched, one committed suicide
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Sprinkle is highlighted in Feb.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William Sprinkle was killed by gun; unknown type.