Charles J. Kinser

Greene County Sheriff's Office — Springfield, MO

Felonious

End of Watch May 15, 1925

Age 40

The Vigil Panel 49 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 9

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Charles Kinser was shot and killed approximately two miles west of Marshfield, Missouri, while participating in a search for two fugitives who had escaped from police custody in Memphis, Tennessee.

The men had been involved in shootouts with police in two different cities before before being sighted in the Marshfield area. Deputies from Greene County and Webster County converged on the area in an attempt to locate them.

Deputy Kinser and a second deputy encountered the men in a wooded area a short distance off of the Springfield-Marshfield Road. As the deputies entered a clearing they were suddenly ambushed by the men who were hiding in nearby bushes. Deputy Kinser was killed instantly and his partner was wounded. Despite the wound, his partner was able to return fire and wounded one of the subjects.

One of the suspects was shot and killed three days later in another shootout with a posse. The second subject was apprehended, but the charges were later dismissed on the grounds that the deputies had pursued the subjects outside of their jurisdiction in Webster County.

Deputy Kinser was predeceased by his wife.

Survivors

He was survived by two sons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MO-D082D67D
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.
Deputy Sheriff Kinser served with the Greene County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Springfield community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Kinser.

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

Agency

Department Greene County Sheriff's Office

Location Springfield, MO

Platform Identity gcso.greene.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 15, 1925

Age 40

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Shot and killed

Deputy Sheriff Charles J. Kinser 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%.

At Greene County Sheriff's Office, 7 of 10 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 70% of this agency's fallen.

Greene County Sheriff's Office

of 10 officers

70% Felonious

MO — Statewide

516

of 813 officers

63.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious