MARION, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—Marion County held a ceremony today, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, to honor local law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. Due to the threat of inclement weather, the annual Law Enforcement Memorial was relocated indoors to MarionNaz Church at 233 W Church Street.

The event was organized by the Steve Young Memorial Lodge #24 of the Fraternal Order of Police and began at 12:30 p.m. The keynote address was delivered by Judge Todd Anderson of the Marion County Common Pleas Court.

The memorial paid tribute to the ultimate sacrifices made by several officers from the area, including:

  • Patrolman Jerome Hostetter, Marion Police Department, who was shot and killed in 1910.
  • Captain Edward Masterson, Marion Police Department, who succumbed to injuries from a traffic accident in 1922.
  • Deputy William Bender, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, who died in 1973 following a crash while en route to set up a roadblock at Highways 37 and 309.
  • Trooper William “Randy” Bender, Ohio State Highway Patrol, who passed away in 1982 due to injuries from a vehicle accident.
  • Deputy Brandy Lyn Winfield, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, who was fatally shot on October 14, 2004.