Colorado State Patrol Corporal Richard Edstrom was wounded in a gun battle with an armed, escaped convict from Aztec, NM on September 19, 1959 adjacent to the Strater Hotel in Durango. The suspect was killed in the gun battle. Corporal Edstrom endured many surgeries and ultimately succumbed to his injuries on October 28, 1959 at Mercy Hospital. Please join Colonel Scott Hernandez and several members of the Edstrom family as we honor the sacrifice of this brave warrior. With the passage of HB 16-1060 on April 16, 2016 by the Colorado State Legislature and Governor John Hickenlooper, authorization has been granted for the placement of roadside signs to honor all of the Colorado State Patrol fallen officers. The signs are to be placed as close to the location of the officer's death as possible, which in this case is next to the Strater Hotel.