Texas and Pacific Railroad Police Department, Railroad Police
End of Watch: Wednesday, October 11, 1922
Age: 22
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Drowned
Date of Incident: October 11, 1922
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Special Agent Milford Merrifield drowned in the Mississippi River near Gretna, Louisiana, when the boat he was in sprung a leak and sank.
He was patrolling railroad property on both sides of the river and requested two other Texas and Pacific employees take him across the river in a skiff. The skiff developed a leak several hundred feet from shore and sank. The other two employees were able to swim to safety, but Special Agent Merrifield was caught in the current and pulled downstream. His body was recovered several days later.
Special Agent Merrifield was a U.S. Army veteran of WWI. He was survived by his wife, father, and two sisters.