John E. Fessler

Pennsylvania State Police — Harrisburg, PA

Felonious

End of Watch April 23, 1937

Age 32

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

The Vigil Panel 73 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 86

Incident

Private Fessler was shot and killed while assisting Montour County deputies arrest a drunken man who had been terrorizing his family. As they approached the home the man opened fire, wounding Private Fessler. The deputies returned fire, wounding the suspect. Private Fessler succumbed to his wounds the following day. The 51-year-old suspect was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death. On February 23, 1940, the day before he was to be executed, he shot and killed himself in the Montour County Jail. The sheriff said eight members of his family had visited him earlier and he suspected that one of them slipped him the .32 caliber pistol. Private Fessler had been with the agency for four years.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-5F914EC8
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.
Private Fessler gave the Pennsylvania State Police 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Pennsylvania. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Private Fessler.

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

Agency

Department Pennsylvania State Police

Location Harrisburg, PA

Platform Identity pasp.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 23, 1937

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Age 32

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Committed suicide

Private John E. Fessler 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 PA, 597 of 1,261 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 47.3% of this state's fallen. That is 6.9 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Pennsylvania State Police, 34 of 87 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 39.1% of this agency's fallen.

Pennsylvania State Police

of 87 officers

39.1% Felonious

PA — Statewide

597

of 1,261 officers

47.3% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious