Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff William Moses was shot and killed while attempting to serve a warrant on a man in the town of Rosebud.
He had gone to the town to conduct a sale, and while he was there, he was given a warrant on a subject for disturbing the peace. He went to the man's home and was greeted by the man's wife, who came onto the porch carrying a Winchester rifle. The woman accidentally fired the rifle, prompting her husband to start shooting his gun. Sheriff Moses was struck twice and killed.
The subject was arrested a short time later after officers from Forsyth came to the scene. The subject was charged with murder, tried, and found not guilty on May 27, 1914.
Sheriff Moses had served as sheriff for two years. He had previously served as a Montana stock inspector for one year and had served several terms as sheriff in a county in Wyoming.
He is buried in Riverside Cemetery, Butte County, South Dakota.
Survivors
He was survived by his son and preceded in death by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MT-0DECACDD- 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.
Sheriff Moses gave the Rosebud County Sheriff's Office 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Forsyth community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Moses.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff William Moses 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 MT, 93 of 142 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 65.5% of this state's fallen. That is 11.3 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Rosebud County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Moses's cause is highlighted.
How William Moses Compares
Offender Outcome
Acquitted
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Moses is highlighted in Jan.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William Moses was killed by gun; unknown type.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Rosebud County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
