Verlyn LaMonte "Monte" Mettler

South Dakota Highway Patrol — Pierre, SD

Felonious Veteran →

End of Watch March 9, 1976

Age 34

Tour of Duty 13 yrs

The Vigil Panel 117 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Patrolman Monte Mettler was shot and killed in his front yard in Chamberlin by a suspect he had arrested on an earlier date. At 2:00 p.m., he was backing away from his home when the suspect, who had been parked in a nearby alley, pulled alongside his car and shot him twice through the window. The suspect then fled to Oacoma, where he committed suicide. Patrolman Mettler was a United States Army veteran and had served with the South Dakota Highway Patrol for 13 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two daughters, his mother, and two sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-SD-570ADA42
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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Trooper Mettler gave the South Dakota Highway Patrol 13 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of South Dakota, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department South Dakota Highway Patrol

Location Pierre, SD

Platform Identity sdhp.sd.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 9, 1976

Tour of Duty 13 yrs

Age 34

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Committed suicide

Military Service

Verlyn LaMonte "Monte" Mettler served in the Army (1959â1962) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Trooper Verlyn LaMonte "Monte" Mettler 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 SD, 36 of 62 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58.1% of this state's fallen. That is 3.9 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At South Dakota Highway Patrol, 2 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 40% of this agency's fallen.

South Dakota Highway Patrol

of 5 officers

40% Felonious

SD — Statewide

of 62 officers

58.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious