Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office, Iowa
End of Watch: Thursday, March 13, 1947
Age: 49
Tour of Duty: 8 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Automobile crash
Date of Incident: March 13, 1947
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Deputy Sheriff Fern McKinley was killed in an automobile crash on Highway 59, south of Avoca, while responding to an other accident at approximately 8:40 pm.
It is believed that another car crowded his vehicle onto the soft shoulder of the roadway. He was partially ejected from the vehicle when it went down a 30-foot embankment and landed in Jim Creek. Nearby farmers who heard the crash responded to the scene and located his body.
Deputy McKinley was a U.S. Army veteran of WWI and had served with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office for eight years. He was survived by his wife, daughter, and mother.