"The Utah Peace Officer Downed Officer Memorial"

The flag flies at half staff in front of the home of Uintah County detective Kevin Orr's in-laws in Lapoint. Orr died during a search and rescue operation when the helicopter he was in hit a power line and crashed. The pilot is in critical condition. (Steve Griffin/The Salt Lake Tribune)


Sheriff's Detective Kevin Orr
Uintah County Sheriff's Office
Date of death: November 22, 2006
Cause: Helicopter Crash

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Courtesy of ODMP

Officer touched the lives of many
By Lisa Rosetta
and Michael N. Westley
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:11/23/2006 12:38:24 AM MST

LAPOINT - Two rural Utah communities today mourn the loss of a man who, by all accounts, left an indelible mark on those who knew him.
    From his residence in Lapoint, to his hometown in Blanding, friends and family of Uintah County Sheriff's Detective Kevin Orr say he was a devoted father, friend, public servant and faithful member of his church.
    His death adds tragedy to the mystery of a missing Jensen woman whom the officer was searching for when the helicopter he was in crashed into the Green River on Tuesday. He was 34 years old.
    An 11-year veteran, Orr leaves behind a wife, Holly Orr, and four children under age 12 who gathered Wednesday with family to grieve and make burial arrangements.
    "[Kevin] died doing what he loved to do," said Orr's brother-in-law, Eric Hartle. "He was always the first one to respond and out trying to help someone else. In our eyes he died a hero."
    Kevin Orr and pilot Brian Grayson from Reno, Nev., were searching for missing Jensen resident Kimberly Turney when their helicopter struck power lines and dropped into the river about 12:50 p.m. Tuesday.
    The men were flown to Salt Lake City hospitals in critical condition. Grayson has improved. Orr died around 1 a.m. Wednesday, family said. The helicopter, owned by Martin Drilling, hit a 69,000-volt transmission line that runs parallel to Jensen and across the Green River, said Moon Lake Electric Co. spokesman Russell Cowan. The transmission line provides power to customers from Jensen to Dinosaur, Colo., about 25 miles away, Cowan said.
    The men were searching for Turney, 25, who was last seen Friday before she was involved in a car crash near the area where the helicopter went down. Search crews also were scouring the area on foot when the helicopter crashed, the sheriff's office reported.
    The investigation into Turney's disappearance is ongoing, said Sheriff Rick Hawkins. Though the search for her resumed Wednesday afternoon, there remain several questions about where she could be. Her mother, Barbara Turney, told KTVX Channel 4 News that Kimberly Turney was running from an abusive relationship.
    Hawkins called the events surrounding the search and the crash a tragedy. "[Kevin Orr] was one of our family and I just can't say enough about what a quality officer he was."

    Balance and Devotion: The driveway leading to Kevin Orr's home is lined with lighted candy canes. An angel peers from a window over the front lawn where a snowman, Santa Claus and reindeer wait to dazzle Lapoint folk for the holiday season.
    Orr was a fanatic about the festivities, Hartle said. He decorated early this year, wanting the display ready to light when he and his young family returned from Blanding where they planned to celebrate Thanksgiving with family including his sister, Jolynn Orr, and twin brother Damon, who also is a police officer.
    "It's not quite the Thanksgiving we expected," Jolynn Orr said.
    "Kevin's had some very close calls," she said. "But we never imagined him being killed on a rescue mission."
    Orr was the 116th law enforcement officer to die in the line of duty in Utah and the third to die in a helicopter crash, according to Robert Kirby, a Tribune columnist and police historian.
    But outside of his duty as a law officer, Orr is likely to be most remembered as a decent man who commanded the respect of those who knew him, friends and family said.
    As president of the young men's group, Orr was an inspiration to boys ages 12 to 18 whom he regularly counseled and spent time with.
    Martin Hubers, First Counselor of the Roosevelt Utah East LDS Stake, said Orr was a natural leader who earned the boys' confidence.
    "The youth seemed to rally around Kevin," Hubers said. "They respected him and they talked to him."
    Martha Jones, who works at the Lapoint Country Store, said patrons had shared their condolences openly Wednesday about the tragedy. Everyone in town knew Orr, she said.
    Jolynn Orr said in Blanding the holiday would be spent trying to dwell not on her brother's death, but the good that Kevin brought into their lives. "We still have each other. We are a close-knit family," she said.
    Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Maeser LDS Stake Center in Vernal. "It's open to anyone Kevin touched and that's a lot of people," Hartle said.
    In lieu of flowers, or for those wishing to make a donation to the family, a fund has been established at Wells Fargo banks under the name of Detective Kevin Orr.
    mwestley@sltrib.com
    lrosetta@sltrib.com
    Utah officers killed in aircraft accidents
    * Seth F. Wright, 53, the San Juan County sheriff, died Oct. 14, 1960, in a plane crash near Monte Vista, Colo. He and the pilot were returning from Texas with a prisoner. All three died.
    * Doyle R. Thorne, 52, a Utah Highway Patrol sergeant, died July 30, 1994, while piloting a state helicopter during a search for a missing girl in Duchesne County.
    * Thomas S. Rettberg, 58, a UHP lieutenant, died Feb. 11, 2000, when the state helicopter he and a civilian mechanic were testing crashed. The mechanic also died.
    * Kevin Orr, 34, a Uintah County sheriff's detective, died from injuries suffered in a helicopter crash Tuesday during a search for a missing woman. The pilot survived.
    Source: End of Watch, by Robert Kirby, University of Utah Press.

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Honored at annual Fallen Officers' Memorial Service

By Pat Reavy

Deseret Morning News, May 2007

Uintah County Sheriff's detective Kevin Orr was a hero — not just because of his law enforcement duties and the sacrifices he made to serve the community, but because of how he conducted himself in every day life.

"He was an outstanding husband and father," said his mother, Claudia Orr.

Kevin Orr lived like a hero and died a hero, his mother said.

This week Orr was one of two men honored during the 2007 annual Utah Law Enforcement Fallen Officers' Memorial Service. The names of Orr and U.S. Marshal J. Ray Ward were added Thursday to the list of more than 110 other men and one woman killed in the line of duty while serving as a peace officer for the state.

Orr, 34, died Nov. 22, 2006, a day after the helicopter he was a passenger in clipped a power line and crashed into the Green River. Two others were injured but survived the crash outside of Vernal. Orr was helping to search for a missing woman.

Orr's widow, Holley, and his mother were presented with Orr's Purple Heart medal during a moving, teary-eyed ceremony. His three young daughters, son and many relatives were in attendance at the Miller Campus Auditorium at Salt Lake Community College, 9750 S. 300 West. All of them wore buttons with Orr's picture.

"He was a fine man," Utah Peace Officers Association president Russell Lee said while brushing away tears as he made the presentation to Holley.

After the ceremony, two of Orr's sisters and his mother recalled how Kevin was a man who went beyond the call of duty to help others. He gave special attention to people trying to get off their drug habits.

"He had respect for the people he arrested. They treated him with respect," said Lisa Howe, his sister.

Orr grew up in Blanding. He had three sisters and three brothers. His twin brother also became a law enforcer for the San Juan County Sheriff's Office and was at Thursday's ceremony.

Orr loved to tell stories, and his family said everyone loved to listen no matter how many times they had heard the same story in the past. He also liked to cook and would also entertain relatives with magic shows that he and his son would perform.