Roll of Honor

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Corporal

Barry Lee Pendrey

Roanoke City Sheriff's Office — Roanoke, VA

Felonious

End of Watch February 26, 1985

Age 29

The Vigil Panel 129 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Corporal Barry Pendrey was beaten to death inside the Roanoke City Jail's infirmary while working as a medic. An inmate who had been admitted to the infirmary took an oxygen bottle from the wall and struck him over the head numerous times, inflicting fatal wounds. Other inmates yelled for assistance but Corporal Pendrey succumbed to his injuries before other deputies arrived. The suspect was convicted of Corporal Pendrey's murder and was sentenced to life in prison.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-VA-42F7D54E
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.
Corporal Pendrey served with the Roanoke City Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Roanoke community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corporal Pendrey.

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

Agency

Department Roanoke City Sheriff's Office

Location Roanoke, VA

Platform Identity rso.roanoke.va.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 26, 1985

Age 29

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Blunt object

Offender Sentenced to life

Corporal Barry Lee Pendrey 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 VA, 395 of 654 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%.

Roanoke City Sheriff's Office

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

VA — Statewide

395

of 654 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Barry Lee Pendrey's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Barry Lee Pendrey Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

Offender Outcome

Sentenced to life

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Barry Lee Pendrey is highlighted in Feb.

Jan

1,392

Feb

1,295

Mar

1,373

Apr

1,517

May

1,505

Jun

1,443

Jul

1,587

Aug

1,516

Sep

1,553

Oct

1,371

Nov

1,447

Dec

1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Barry Lee Pendrey was killed by blunt object.

Gun; Unknown type

5,083

Handgun

2,077

Shotgun

922

Officer's handgun

909

Automobile; Alcohol involved

530

Rifle

518