Roll of Honor
William Oscar McMurtray, III
Incident
Lieutenant Mac McMurtray died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Lieutenant McMurtray was a United States Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Burke County Sheriff's Office for 13 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Lieutenant William Oscar McMurtray, III died on October 11, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 48.
He is one of 884 officers honored here.
Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.
Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and three daughters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NC-F7A5A218- 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
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Lieutenant McMurtray gave the Burke County Sheriff's Office 13 years.
Thank you for your service to the Morganton community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant McMurtray.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
William Oscar McMurtray, III served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Lieutenant William Oscar McMurtray, III is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In NC, 37 of 664 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 5.6% of this state's fallen. That is 3.5 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Burke County Sheriff's Office, 1 of 4 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 25% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Oscar McMurtray, III's cause is highlighted.
How William Oscar McMurtray, III Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. William Oscar McMurtray, III is highlighted in Oct.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
3 officers from Burke County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
