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Patrolman

James Hugh Marshburn

North Carolina Highway Patrol — Raleigh, NC

Felonious

End of Watch September 19, 1964

Age 21

Tour of Duty 1 mo

The Vigil Panel 99 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 68

Incident

Patrolman James Marshburn was shot and killed by an escaped convict on I-95 five miles north of Lumberton. He and another patrolman came upon two escapees walking down the southbound lane a short distance from a stolen car they had just abandoned. As the officers exited their patrol car, both escapees opened fire with .45 caliber pistols. In an exchange of shots, Patrolman Marshburn was shot three times in the stomach, and one escapee was killed. The other convict dropped his gun and ran into the nearby woods. Patrolman Marshburn died at the hospital 90 minutes later. The suspects had escaped from a prison work detail in Raleigh. They used stolen guns taken earlier when they broke into a National Guard building. The other escapee was captured four hours after the shooting when bloodhounds flushed him out of the woods. He had been sentenced to prison in 1953 for armed robbery, motor vehicle theft, and felony breaking and entering. He received an additional 35 years for Trooper Marshburn's murder. He was released from prison on May 2, 1991. Patrolman Marshburn had only served with the North Carolina Highway Patrol for less than two months. He is survived by his mother and three sisters. In 2025, a bridge on North Carolina 130 over Interstate 95 was renamed the Patrolman James H. Marshburn Bridge in his honor.

Survivors

He is survived by his mother and three sisters.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
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.
Patrolman Marshburn served with the North Carolina Highway Patrol.
Thank you for your service to the people of North Carolina. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Marshburn.

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

Agency

Department North Carolina Highway Patrol

Type Highway Patrol

Location Raleigh, NC

Platform Identity nchp.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 19, 1964

Tour of Duty 1 mo

Age 21

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

James is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1964, 75 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 94th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

James was 21. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. James had served 0.1 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

September holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Saturdays: 16.3%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded