Willard Rufus Ayers
Agency patch
Deputy U.S. Marshal

Willard Rufus Ayers

Felonious
End of Watch August 11, 1880
Age 33
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Marshal Willard Ayers was shot and killed while serving a warrant on a man in Cherokeetown, Chickasaw Nation (present day Oklahoma). The subject asked Deputy Marshal Ayers if he could get clothing and Deputy Marshal Ayers agreed. The man instead picked up a gun and shot Marshal Ayers in the head, killing him. The man was sentenced to death and was hung April 28th, 1888, at Fort Smith Arkansas.

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

146 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Ayers served with the United States Department of Justice.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity usms.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 11, 1880
Age 33
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Willard is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 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 1880, 38 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 147th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Willard was 33. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38.

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

When

August holds 8.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Wednesdays: 12.9%.

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 gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service has at least 120 officers remembered here, Willard among them.

Across the years

Deputy U.S. Marshal Willard Rufus Ayers

United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service · End of Watch August 11, 1880

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 35-W

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