OSBURN — Local and regional law enforcement officers and first responders were among more than 100 people attending a ceremony Monday to unveil a new memorial honoring fallen Osburn Police Officer Earl Charles “Chuck” Ashton. 

The ceremony was held on the 50th anniversary of Ashton’s end of watch. Idaho State Police Cpl. Holly Branch presented a flag to his wife, Cynthia Patton, and daughter, Lisa Rudd.

Ashton was shot and killed by Dixon Curley on Aug. 17, 1976, during what began as a wrong-way driver traffic stop on Interstate 90 near Big Creek after Ashton’s shift had ended for the day. Curley fled the scene but was later apprehended and eventually convicted of first-degree murder. 

Osburn Police Chief Jason Woody spearheaded the effort to create the monument, with support from Mayor Kip McGillivray, City Clerk Jenna Grant-Arthun and several generous donors. 

Woody spoke during the ceremony, expressing both pride in the memorial’s completion and regret that it had taken so long for the city to establish a permanent tribute to Ashton’s sacrifice. 

“A permanent monument like the one we are about to unveil does not happen by accident,” Woody said. “It is a community effort. It stands, not just as a testament to Chuck's bravery, but to the generosity and enduring support of those who refuse to let his memory fade. 

“Fifty years is a long time. It is half a century of shifts worked and patrols completed. Yet, for the last five decades, the city of Osburn has never formally recognized the ultimate sacrifice Chuck made on our behalf. Mayor McGillivray and I decided it was time to finally correct that history and create this monument — giving his sacrifice the honor it should have received 50 years ago.” 

Former Deputy Sheriff Roy Reel, who took Ashton’s final radio call on that fateful night, became emotional as he read the transcript of the officer’s final dispatch. 

Following the ceremony, members of Ashton’s family expressed their gratitude to the city for honoring him. 

“They did an excellent job,” Lisa’s husband, Mike Rudd, said. “I mean, they shut down the main street of Osburn for this; it's just fantastic.” 

“We’re very thankful,” Lisa said. 

Patton was a young mother who had moved to the Silver Valley with her husband just six weeks before Ashton was killed. 

She recalled how excited Ashton was to join the department and attend POST, but lamented that he lived out his dream for only a short time. 

“Fifty years,” she said. “Fifty years is a long time and I was very young — we both were. He did what he wanted to do, and I supported him because that's what you do when you're married. I'm thankful they remembered him because he didn't get much of a chance.” 

During his remarks, Woody addressed Ashton’s family directly, telling them he hoped they knew Ashton’s legacy would forever be honored in Osburn and throughout the Silver Valley. 

“Your loved one is a hero,” he said. “We know that for the last 50 years, you have carried an empty space that no ceremony can ever fill, and you have waited far too long for this city to officially honor him. It is our hope that this monument serves as a permanent reminder that Chuck's sacrifice is now etched into the very foundation of the department and this city.” 

    Cynthia Patton (left) and Lisa Rudd stand alongside the new memorial for fallen Osburn Police Officer Earl Charles "Chuck" Ashton that was unveiled on Monday outside of Osburn City Hall. Patton and Rudd are the wife and daughter of Officer Ashton, who was shot and killed in the line of duty on Aug. 17, 1976.
  

    Osburn Police Chief Jason Woody addresses the crowd during the memorial for Officer Earl Charles "Chuck" Ashton.
  

    Idaho State Police Cpl. Holly Branch presents the folded flag to Lisa Rudd, daughter of fallen police officer Chuck Ashton.
  

    Osburn Police Officer Chuck Ashton in his uniform. Ashton was tragically gunned down on August 17, 1976, during a traffic stop.