More names will be added today to the Law Enforcement Memorial, located on the grounds of the north side of the state Capitol, to honor Missouri law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty.
On Friday night, a candlelight vigil took place at the memorial. At 10 a.m. today, the names of two law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2013 will be added to the memorial wall.
Detective Christopher Simpson and Officer Joseph Smith, both of Chesterfield, will have a plaque bearing their names placed on the memorial. Both men died of heart attacks.
Two other officers, Vernon Winn of Iberia and Edward Bell of the Missouri Pacific Railroad Police, who died in years prior, will also be recognized.
Families of the fallen and law enforcement agencies from across Missouri participate in this annual event by placing wreaths at the memorial wall. Gov. Jay Nixon and Attorney General Chris Koster are both scheduled to be among those making remarks at the ceremony.
Records indicate that 1910 was the last year for which there are no recorded law enforcement line of duty deaths in Missouri.