Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff Osborne Bell was shot and killed while assisting a deputy arrest a suspect on a drug-related charge. The deputy had stopped to investigate a car parked 500 feet south of Jamison road on Highway 309. When Sheriff Bell arrived a struggle resulted with the driver when they noticed drug paraphernalia in the car. The suspect shot Sheriff Bell in the face. The deputy returned fire wounding the suspect. Sheriff Bell died while en-route to a hospital in Tennessee. The suspect was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. His conviction was overturned and he was tried a second time and sentenced to life with the possibility of parole. He was denied parole for the fifth time in 2011. Sheriff Bell had served in law enforcement for 20 years. He had been the Marshall County Sheriff for six years. He was Mississippi's first black coroner before being elected sheriff.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and four children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MS-3B8BED19- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
20 years. You could have gone home.
Sheriff Bell gave the Marshall County Sheriff's Department 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Holly Springs community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Bell.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff Osborne Bell is one of 17,558 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 53.9% of all 32,585 officers honored here.
In MS, 242 of 349 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.3% of this state's fallen. That is 15.4 percentage points above the national rate of 53.9%.
At Marshall County Sheriff's Department, 1 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Osborne Bell's cause is highlighted.
How Osborne Bell Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Osborne Bell is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Osborne Bell was killed by handgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Marshall County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.
