Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Eilers was shot and killed with his own service weapon after stopping a vehicle for having a dangling license plate. Unbeknownst to Sergeant Eilers, the two brothers in the car, ages 21 and 17, had just committed a burglary at a high school two counties away. The suspects attacked him, beat him, and then shot him with his own weapon. One of the suspects drove the patrol car to a rock quarry 20 miles away where he planned to dump the car and the officer's body into the 100-foot deep water. He had to abandon the car when he failed to crash through a gate, and the car became tangled in the wire mesh. A short time later the patrol car was discovered by a passing motorist. When the suspect took the patrol car, he accidentally ran into the back of his own car knocking off the license plate. Police found the plate which led to the brother's arrest the next day. The 21-year-old suspect had recently been paroled from the Wisconsin State Reformatory after serving two years for burglary. He was convicted of Sergeant Eilers' murder and sentenced to life in prison on September 25, 1962. He was paroled in 1976. In 1982 he was returned to the Wisconsin Penitentiary following a burglary conviction. On September 19, 1988, he escaped from McNaughton Correctional Institute. A year later he was captured in Nevada after his case aired on the TV show "America's Most Wanted." A judge ordered that his 17-year-old brother was to be tried as a juvenile. Sergeant Eilers was an Army Rangers World War II Purple Heart veteran and served with the Burlington Police Department.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-WI-643790A5- 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.
Sergeant Eilers served with the Burlington Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Burlington community, and 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
Anthony G. Eilers served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Sergeant Anthony G. Eilers 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 WI, 159 of 317 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50.2% of this state's fallen. That is 4 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.
At Burlington Police Department, 2 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Anthony G. Eilers's cause is highlighted.
How Anthony G. Eilers Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to life
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Anthony G. Eilers is highlighted in Feb.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Anthony G. Eilers was killed by officer's handgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Burlington Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
