Almost a century since he was killed on duty, Deputy Robert Lee Wright gets the recognition he deserves
Phoenix, Arizona: Nearly 100 years after he was killed in the line of duty, Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputy Robert Lee Wright, will get a fitting memorial. Deputy Wright was fatally shot by a notorious criminal duo in 1930 and had since rested in an unmarked grave.
Who killed Sheriff's Deputy Robert Lee Wright?
Deputy Wright was killed in a shoot-out with Irene Schroeder and Walter Glenn Dague, infamous criminals from the early 20th. In 1930, Schroeder and Dague, were fleeing Westward after killing a highway patrolman in Pennsylvania during a robbery. Their cross-country spree ended culminated in a lethal encounter with Deputy Wright in Chandler, Arizona, near the San Marcos Hotel.
Deputy Wright confronted the gang in a local garage. During the confrontation, he was shot in the arm, but the bullet hit an artery, and he succumbed to his wounds shortly after. The criminals fled, but law enforcement, including 100 deputies, posse members, and Native American trackers, pursued the gang into the Estrella Mountains. They were eventually captured.
Who was Irene Schroeder?
Irene Schroeder was born in 1909 in Benwood, West Virginia. She became notorious as the first woman in Pennsylvania to be executed in the electric chair. Schroeder, a mother, turned to a life of crime after separating from her husband. She became involved in a relationship with Glenn Day, and together, they embarked on a criminal path that involved armed robbery.
Schroeder's most infamous crime occurred in 1929. Along with Day and two other accomplices, she committed a robbery at a grocery store in Butler County, Pennsylvania. During their escape, the group encountered two state troopers, and in the resulting gunfight, Schroeder shot and killed Officer Brady Paul.
After a dramatic manhunt and trial, Schroeder was sentenced to death, and she was executed in 1931.
Who was Glenn Dague?
Glenn Dague was Irene Schroeder's lover and partner in crime. Not much is known about his background, but his criminal record grew alongside Schroeder's. Dague, like Schroeder, participated in the deadly grocery store robbery that resulted in the killing of Officer Brady Paul.
Dague was also captured and put on trial, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the crimes and executed on the same day as Schroeder.
Deputy Wright has rested in an unmarked grave at the Mesa City Cemetery, with no headstone to commemorate his service. But when members of the Fallen Hero Wreath Program visited his grave and discovered the lack of any recognition. “My heart fell,” one member told 12 News. “He deserved better. He gave his life, made the ultimate sacrifice, and yet he was left in a pauper’s grave, unrecognized.”
A new headstone, funded by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Posse, now stands where Wright rests, marking his final resting place.
On October 28, a memorial service will be held at the new grave site to commemorate Deputy Wright’s heroism. An honor guard from Pennsylvania, where the crime spree began, will attend the ceremony, alongside representatives from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
"Now, anyone who visits this grave will know that Deputy Robert Lee Wright gave his life in the line of duty,” one official told 12 News. “He deserves that respect, dignity, and honor."