United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Monday, July 23, 1973
Age: 32
Tour of Duty: 1 year, 6 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: July 23, 1973
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Special Agent Henry Tibbs and Special Agent Elmer Heggen were killed in an aircraft accident while en route to testify in a court-martial at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
The court-martial was in reference to a murder case that had been reopened due to a technicality, and the subject was at Fort Leavenworth. Agent Heggen and Agent Tibbs were stationed at the Fort Campbell CID field office and were flying Ozark Airlines to St. Louis, Missouri, for a connecting flight. Ozark Airlines Flight 809 crashed in a severe storm on approach to the Lambert-St. Louis Airfield.
Agent Tibbs had been assigned to the Criminal Investigation Command for 18 months and had also served as an MP for several years. He was survived by his father, brother, and sister.