Death Classification: Line of Duty Death

Agency: Chicago Police Department

Served: 15 years, 6 months, 23 days

Unit of Assignment / Detail: Bureau of Operational Services - Criminal Investigation Division: Unit 636 - Area 6 General Assignment Section

District of Incident (Present Day): 019 - Town Hall

Cause of Death: Gunfire - Enemy

Age at Time of Death: 45

Timeline


Date of Birth: 10 Dec 1927

Date of Appointment: 01 Jul 1957

Date of Incident: 019 - Town Hall

End of Watch: 24 Jan 1973

Date of Interment: 29 Jan 1973

 

Interment Details


 Cemetery: All Saints Catholic Cemetery - Des Plaines, Illinois
 Grave Location: Grave 2, Lot 41, Block 3, Section 4
 Interment Disposition: Burial

 

Memorial Details


Superintendent’s Honored Star Case: Not Enshrined

Gold Star Families Memorial Wall: Panel # 18

Illinois Police Officers Memorial Wall: Not Listed

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall: Not Listed

Officer Down Memorial Page: Not Listed

 

Service


 Military Service: U.S. Coast Guard Reserve

 

Incident & Biographic Details


Sergeant Michael Francis Maguire, Sr., Star #1414, aged 45 years, was a 15 year, 6 month, 23 day veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assigned to the Bureau of Operational Services – Criminal Investigation Division: Unit 636 – Area 6 General Assignment Section.

On January 24, 1973, at 9:00 p.m., Sergeant Maguire was found in the parking lot of Martha Washington Hospital located at 2319 West Belle Plaine Avenue in a pool of blood with a gunshot wound through his head. Sergeant Maguire’s .38 caliber service revolver was found nearby and his police star was found under his body. Evidence of powder burns was found and no one was observed fleeing the scene. Sergeant Maguire was transported to Ravenswood Hospital for neurosurgery, but was pronounced dead before he could have the surgery.

Prior to being found Sergeant Maguire had left his office at Area 6 Headquarters, 3801 North Damen Avenue, for dinner at 8:00 p.m. He was seen in a restaurant about three blocks away and apparently had walked to the hospital. It was a mystery to investigators as to why the sergeant was at the hospital and why his badge was out and why he only had 31 cents in his pockets. It was initially thought that the sergeant may have committed suicide and a look into the sergeant’s background revealed no obvious reason he would commit suicide. Per a hospital security guard he heard three shots at 9:00 p.m. and went to investigate and found Sergeant Maguire lying in the parking lot. A ladder was also found leaning against the hospital building. It led to an open window of the records storage room, which also had a safe inside. Per the hospital administrator nothing inside the room had been disturbed. A separate witness also said that they saw a man running on the hospital grounds at the time of the shooting. Investigators were unable to locate the man. The circumstances surrounding Sergeant Maguire’s death remains a mystery.

Sergeant Maguire was waked at Cooney Funeral Home located at 3918 West Irving Park Road. His funeral mass was held at St. Juliana Catholic Church located at 7200 North Osceola Avenue. He was laid to rest on January 29, 1973 in All Saints Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum, 700 North River Road, Des Plaines, Illinois. His grave was located in Grave 2, Lot 6, Block 10, Section 106. His grave was later relocated to 4 of W10′ of S1/2 in Grave 2, Lot 41, Block 3, Section 4.

Sergeant Michael Francis Maguire, Sr., born December 10, 1927, received his Probationary Appointment to the Chicago Police Department on July 1, 1957 and was issued Star #10223. On November 18, 1965, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and issued Star #1414.

Sergeant Maguire was a member of the Chicago Police Sergeant’s Association, Illinois Police Association, St. Jude Police League and the Shamrock American Club. He was survived by his wife, Helen (nee Murphy) and children: Eileen, age 10, Kathleen, age 13, and Michael, Francis, Jr., age 9. He was preceded in death by his parents: Bridget (nee Farrelly and John).