Kelly Leland Poynter
Agency patch
Trooper

Kelly Leland Poynter

Missouri State Highway Patrol — Jefferson City, MO
Felonious
End of Watch January 18, 2002
Age 27
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
The Vigil Panel 149 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Trooper Kelly Poynter was struck and killed by a drunk driver while working a crash scene on U.S. Route 63 in Texas County, Missouri.

When he noticed the vehicle heading his way, he pushed some of the men out of the way. He was killed instantly.

The 39-year-old driver of the vehicle that struck Trooper Poynter was intoxicated and driving at a high rate of speed. She was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter. The suspect was sentenced to 7 years but released after serving a court-ordered 120 days for completing an alcohol treatment program. The judge in the case set the sentence up this way because the driver's blood alcohol level was 0.07. In Missouri, it has to be 0.08 or more to be legally under the influence.

Trooper Poynter had served with the Missouri State Highway Patrol for six years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two young sons.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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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.
Trooper Poynter gave the Missouri State Highway Patrol 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Missouri. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Poynter.

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

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Jefferson City, MO
Platform Identity mshp.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 18, 2002
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
Age 27
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Vehicular assault
Weapon Automobile; Alcohol involved

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Kelly is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% 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 2002, 73 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 96th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Kelly was 27. 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. Kelly had served 6 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

January holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was automobile; alcohol involved, in 1% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Missouri State Highway Patrol has 33 officers remembered here, Kelly among them.

VI

Where

Trooper Kelly Leland Poynter

Missouri State Highway Patrol · End of Watch January 18, 2002

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 18-E

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