Roll of Honor

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Deputy Sheriff

Ted Duke Horton

Franklin County Sheriff's Office — Louisburg, NC

Accident

End of Watch May 14, 2004

Age 53

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

The Vigil Panel 152 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Ted Horton was killed in a helicopter crash while he and another deputy conducted a narcotics search over a wooded area near Louisburg.

The Hughes 269A helicopter experienced mechanical problems shortly after taking off from a field near the sheriff's office. The pilot attempted to make an emergency landing in a clearing but the main rotor blades struck pine trees on the edge of the clearing. The helicopter fell 30-feet and landed on its left side. Deputy Horton, who was an observer during the flight, was killed. The pilot suffered non-fatal injuries.

Deputy Horton is survived by his wife and mother.

Survivors

Deputy Horton is survived by his wife and mother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NC-5AADFA59
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 Horton gave the Franklin County Sheriff's Office 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Louisburg community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Horton.

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

Agency

Department Franklin County Sheriff's Office

Location Louisburg, NC

Platform Identity fcso.franklin.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 14, 2004

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Age 53

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Deputy Sheriff Ted Duke Horton 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 NC, 205 of 664 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30.9% of this state's fallen.

Franklin County Sheriff's Office

of 1 officers

100% Accident

NC — Statewide

205

of 664 officers

30.9% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Ted Duke Horton's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Ted Duke Horton Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Accident: 38.1 years

Years of Service