By Joanna Putman
Police1
MESA, Ariz. — Nearly 100 years after his death at the hands of a criminal gang, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Deputy Robert Lee Wright will be honored with a headstone and memorial service, 12News reported.
Wright was fatally wounded in downtown Chandler by “Iron” Irene Schroeder and her boyfriend Glen Dague, a notorious criminal duo often compared to Bonnie and Clyde, according to the report. At the time of the shooting, Schroeder and Dague were fleeing west after killing a highway patrolman in Pennsylvania. Though Wright was shot in the arm, the bullet severed an artery, and he died from his injuries two weeks later.
The gang was eventually tracked down by a large group of deputies and Native American trackers in the Estrella Mountains, leading to their capture, according to the report. The case gained nationwide attention, and the criminals became infamous.
Recently, members of the Fallen Hero Wreath Program discovered that Wright’s grave in the Mesa City Cemetery was unmarked. Moved by the discovery, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Volunteer Posse raised funds for a headstone, which was placed this week.
On Oct. 28, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office will hold a memorial service to honor Wright’s service and sacrifice, according to the report. An honor guard from Pennsylvania, where the gang’s crime spree began, will also participate in the ceremony.
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