Roll of Honor
Incident
Posseman Festus Sprague was shot and killed while attempting to arrest the man who had murdered Deputy U.S. Marshal William Story the previous day.
The posse tracked the subject to a relative's home along South Willow Creek in a canyon approximately seven miles southwest of Grantsville. As the posse closed in on the house the man mounted his horse and fled further up the canyon until having to dismount. The man fell down the canyon wall into the brush.
As Posseman Sprague and other posse members entered the brush they were ambushed by the subject. Posseman Sprague was fatally wounded before the man was killed by return gunfire by other posse members.
Posseman Sprague was a veteran of the Nauvoo Legion.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and four children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-UT-B7979151- 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.
Posseman Sprague served with the Grantsville Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Grantsville community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Festus Sprague served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Posseman Festus Sprague 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 UT, 84 of 138 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.9% of this state's fallen. That is 6.7 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. Festus Sprague's cause is highlighted.
How Festus Sprague Compares
Offender Outcome
Shot and killed
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Festus Sprague is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Festus Sprague was killed by gun; unknown type.