Marvin Ray Kline
Agency patch
Sergeant

Marvin Ray Kline

Kern County Sheriff's Office — Bakersfield, CA
Accident
End of Watch August 16, 1986
Age 46
Tour of Duty 18 yrs
Badge 551
The Vigil Panel 131 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant Marvin Kline, Pilot Douglas Moonen, and Deputy Sheriff Ray Bockman were killed in an aircraft accident while on a training mission at 9:45 am. They were practicing looking for drowning victims on the Kern River when the Cessna 206 hit a high-tension power line and tree before it crashed in Hart Memorial Park, six miles north of Bakersfield. Sergeant Kline had served with the Kern County Sheriff's Office for 18 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two daughters, a son, and a stepdaughter.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sergeant Kline gave the Kern County Sheriff's Office 18 years.
Thank you for your service to the Bakersfield community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Kline.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Bakersfield, Kern County, CA
Platform Identity kcso.kern.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 16, 1986
Tour of Duty 18 yrs
Age 46
Badge Number 551
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Marvin is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1986, 82 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 23rd heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Marvin was 46. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Marvin had served 18 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

August holds 9.5% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Saturdays: 14.9%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Kern County Sheriff's Office has 28 officers remembered here, Marvin among them.

VI

Where

Sergeant Marvin Ray Kline

Kern County Sheriff's Office · End of Watch August 16, 1986

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 60-E

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