Will County Probation Department, Illinois
End of Watch: Thursday, April 10, 1941
Age: 41
Tour of Duty: 1 year
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: April 10, 1941
Weapon Used: Handgun; .38 caliber
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Probation Officer Ernest Wehr was shot and killed while driving a probationer to a work site at a farm off Route 30 in Cherry Hill.
The subject had complained about his current employer so he was assigned to a new work location. As Officer Wehr turned off Route 30 onto the farm's driveway the man pulled out a .38 caliber revolver and shot him in the head without warning. The subject then drove the vehicle across the street where he hid Officer Wehr's body in shrubbery on the estate of Illinois State Senator Richard Barr, three miles east of Joliet.
The 18-year-old man fled in Officer Wehr's car but was arrested the following day. He confessed to having planned to murder Officer Wehr to steal the car. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life. In 1949 his sentence was commuted to 60 years for participating in malaria treatments during World War II.
Officer Wehr was a U.S. Army veteran of WWI and a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for bravery in combat in Cantigny, France. He had served with the Will County Probation Department for approximately one year. Officer Wehr was survived by his wife.