William Don Reese

Dallas County Sheriff's Department — Dallas, TX

Felonious

End of Watch February 15, 1971

The Vigil Panel 108 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 19

Incident

Deputy William Reese, Deputy Samuel Infante, and Deputy Arthur Robertson, of the Ellis County Sheriff's Department, were shot and killed after being abducted by two men while conducting a burglary investigation. Their murders became known as the "Trinity River Massacre". Deputy Reese and Deputy Infante were backing up Deputy Robertson at the home of one of the suspects. The three were abducted, taken to the Trinity River and were shot execution style. Another Ellis County deputy was able to escape and get help. The fifth deputy was shot in the chest but survived. Both suspects, 24 and 33, were apprehended four days later after the most intensive search in Dallas County history. They later told investigators they wanted to leave Dallas and get away as far as they could but their heroin habit was so bad they needed to stay close to their suppliers. The oldest had spent 18 years of his life in prison for numerous crimes including armed robbery and burglary, A murder charge had been dropped against him recently because witnesses refused or were either to afraid to testify. The case had wire spread repercussions in Dallas for reasons other than the actual killing. Two persons believed to be informants in the hunt for the two had died. One was shot and killed in Dallas. The other was killed in a oil drilling accident that had indications of foul play. Both suspects were convicted of murder and sentenced to death. In 1972 their sentences were commuted to life. The youngest was paroled on December 18, 1990. No one was notified of his parole hearing. His parole angered so many state and federal officials that the parole process was changed. The most major change was anyone convicted of capital murder could not be concidered for parole until he had served 35 years. Then in 1995 the suspect was arrested for driving while impaired in Lubbock. For reasons unknown nothing surfaced that he had violated his parole. Thanks to a Dallas jailer, now the Lubbock Police Chief, who was inv

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Reese served with the Dallas County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Dallas community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Reese.

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

Agency

Department Dallas County Sheriff's Department

Type Sheriff's Office

Location Dallas, Dallas County, TX

Platform Identity dcso.dallas.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 15, 1971

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

William 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 1971, 168 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 18th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

When

February holds 7.4% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Mondays: 13.8%.

By month

By day of the week

III

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