Fallen Agents Day – 2024

Say a Name on February 26^th, 2024 – A Day of remembrance for the fallen and forgotten

Early in the morning in Houston, Texas on February the 24^th, a repossessor was chased off by a borrower at gunpoint. Unaware of this, another agent soon arrived and was shot with a 30-30 telescopic rifle through the neck and both lungs. He died on the spot and no charges were filed for his murder. That was Tommy Deen Morris and that was thirty years ago.

Tommy Deen left behind his wife, Donna, and four children. They have never forgotten about him to this day. I remembered because I was an agent in the field when I heard about this and only because it made national news.

But not every agent killed in the field gets this much attention. Most fade into yesterday’s news and are only lightly covered in the local news. While their family and friends remember them, as a whole, the repossession industry has had a tendency to sweep these matters under the rug and move on. As I was told way back, “it’s not good for business.”

Please join us in observing Fallen Agents Day Today, Monday, February 26^th.

But since then, many new names have been added to the list of men murdered in the field. In addition, I discovered just as many murdered before Tommy Deen who were forgotten, until now.

2024 marks the third year of our call for an industry day of remembrance for murdered repossession agents. This comes on the heels of a year that was the deadliest year in the hundred plus year history of auto repossessions. Fallen Agents Day, is a day reserved for the memory of these many men who have been murdered in the line of duty.

Say A Name

We are again requesting that all those who wish to show their unity in honoring those who have fallen in the line of duty by the wearing of black arm bands in their memory. Because the 24th landed on a Saturday this year, we are suggesting that it be observed today, Monday February 26th instead.

As an alternate form of remembrance, it was suggested by one agency owner, that we adopt a practice employed by a group known as “Wreaths Across America.” It is their practice that as they lay a wreath on the grave stones of fallen veterans that they also say their name out loud. By doing so, that person is not forgotten.

Absent wreaths or graves to lay them on, we can still employ this tradition in our own ways. Be it writing the name of a fallen agent on a whiteboard for the day, lighting a candle and saying their name or sharing their name and any details felt worthy of sharing on a bulletin to staff can ensure that the memories of duty and sacrifice that each of these men have suffered is never forgotten.

Below is a list of the names that I have located and links to their stories. Those not linked occurred before the internet era and can be found in my book, Repo Blood.;

Ablon, Alvin S. – Barber, Floyd “Rich” – Beckham, Antonio – Blackwell, Robert C. – Britt, Lonnie – Campbell, Edwin Joe – Carlin, Cody – Clark, Clarence E. – Clark, Ronald D.- Click, Jayson – Connor, Troy – Garcia, Edward S.- Hodges, William – Humphries, Elwood – Jacobson, Jack – Johnson, Allan – Jones, Jesse – LaPrairie, Blaine – Lawson, Steve – Lewandowski, Tom – Lowe, Jeffrey –David, Manno – Michael, Martin Curtis – McCracken, Gary – McGuigan, William – Medqueaux, Jorie Thos. – Miller, Terry – Montero, Junior Jordan – Morgan, Steve – Morris, Tommy Deen – Nielsen, Tim – Passingham, Frank – Peters, John Henry – Pierce, Kevin Sr. – Purple, Will S. – Reardon, Bernard – Ridder, Mark Brian – Rivera, Wilfred – Robins, Jeffery Scott – Rose, Allen – Russell, Brandon – Russell, Graylon – Russell, William Elmer – Sharp, William Paul – Showell, Todd – Sutton, Gary Lee – Tallon, Rick – Thomas, Brandon – Thompson, Allen – Visee, Gregory Allen (A.k.a. Kegger), Wainwright, Buster – Wright, Brendon Keith