Roll of Honor
Incident
Constable Darwin Rice was sent to seize a yoke of oxen under a writ of attachment from Rufus W. Ledbetter in Eddy on the Bell-Falls county line. Constable Rice did not anticipate trouble despite Ledbetter’s prior threats to kill the constable if he tried to arrest him or seize the oxen. Ledbetter was lying under his plow making a repair when Constable Rice approached and tied his horse to the plow. The constable had left his pistol in the saddlebags on his horse. Ledbetter started swearing and threatening to kill the constable. Ledbetter grabbed his .56 caliber rifle and shot Rice in the arm with the bullet passing into his right side. Rice grabbed the rifle and wrestled it away from the suspect. Several witnesses picked up the constable and took him to a hay stack to rest. Ledbetter returned with a knife and demanded his rifle. One of the witnesses threw the rifle in the field and fled. Ledbetter fired at him and missed. Constable Rice lingered until 9:00 p.m. the next night when he died.
Rufus W. Ledbetter was convicted and sentenced to death but he appealed and had the case reversed and remanded because the constable was outside Bell County by 200 yards. A second trial was held and Ledbetter was tried and convicted and sentenced to life in prison but he appealed again and the case was reversed and remanded because of improper jury instruction. It is unknown if Ledbetter was ever formally convicted of the murder.
Rice is buried at the Moffat Cemetery in Bell County. He was only 26 years old. Newspaper accounts indicate that Rice may have also been a Bell County deputy sheriff.
Rest in peace knowing that no passage of time will ever erase your service and sacrifice.
Detective Cpl/3 Steven Rizzo Delaware State Police (Retired) August 6th, 2020
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- April 2, 2026
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- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
140 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Constable Rice gave the Bell County Constable's Office 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Belton community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable Darwin P. Rice 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Darwin P. Rice's cause is highlighted.
How Darwin P. Rice Compares
Offender Outcome
Convicted but case overturned on appeal
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Darwin P. Rice is highlighted in Aug.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Darwin P. Rice was killed by rifle.