Jimmie Howard McKay, Sr.

Harris County Sheriff's Office — Houston, TX

Felonious

End of Watch March 22, 1974

Age 43

The Vigil Panel 113 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 55

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Jimmie McKay and his wife, Rose Sharon McKay, were shot and killed after he stopped a vehicle in the 2000 block of Hayes Road, near Westheimer Road, while working a secondary employment assignment at his apartment complex. Deputy McKay's personal vehicle was equipped with emergency lights and a sheriff's department radio. Two motorists found Deputy McKay's body on the side of the road and Mrs. McKay's body in the front seat of the patrol car. Both had been shot and killed. The case remained unsolved until 1997 when cold case detectives began to interview previous suspects. One of the men confessed to murdering Deputy McKay during the traffic stop and ordering his accomplice to murder Mrs. McKay. In 2000 the man who shot Deputy McKay, who was serving a 50-year prison sentence in Oklahoma, was sentenced to 40 additional years. The accomplice also pleaded guilty to murdering Mrs. McKay.

Survivors

Deputy McKay and his wife were survived by three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-04BD3BA8
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 McKay served with the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Houston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff McKay.

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

Agency

Department Harris County Sheriff's Office

Location Houston, TX

Platform Identity hcso.harris.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 22, 1974

Age 43

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Sentenced to 40 years

Deputy Sheriff Jimmie Howard McKay, Sr. 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 TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Harris County Sheriff's Office, 23 of 56 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 41.1% of this agency's fallen.

Harris County Sheriff's Office

of 56 officers

41.1% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious