Honoring those who sacrificed the greatest in the line of duty
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Michael Robert Keel
End of Watch – April 12, 2023
Michael Robert Keel, 61 of Valparaiso, passed away Wednesday, April 12, 2023, He began his time with the prison working in "The Farm" where he assisted in farming and raising livestock. Mike then trained to become a Steel Fabricator and ran the steel shop for the remainder of his time with the prison. Most notably, Mike built the Memorial Bell which stands at the Fallen Officer Memorial in New Castle, IN. Mike loved his job and was dedicated to his craft. Mike worked for the Indiana department of Correction for 29 years.
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Eugene Lasco
End of Watch – February 21, 2021
Lieutenant Eugene Lasco was stabbed to death by an inmate at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, Indiana. The prisoner was being escorted through a shared area when he began to assault another corrections officer. When Lieutenant Lasco came to the officer's assistance the inmate stabbed him as well before being subdued by other officers. Lieutenant Lasco and the other wounded officer were transported to Franciscan Health Michigan City. Lieutenant Lasco succumbed to his wounds at the hospital.
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Timothy A. Betts
End of Watch – August 26th, 2012
Correctional Officer Tim Betts suffered a fatal heart attack while escorting an unruly inmate to the segregation unit at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility. He collapsed as he and other officers moved the inmate. The other officers immediately began CPR and used an automated external defibrillator until an ambulance arrived. Officer Betts was transported to Sullivan County Community Hospital where he passed away a short time later. Officer Betts had served with the Indiana Department of Correction for 15 years. He is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren.
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Robert Joseph Statzer
End of Watch – November 25, 2008
On November 25, 2008, at approximately 7:15 a.m. Mr. Robert Joseph Statzer, an Electrical Foreman for the Pendleton Correctional Facility, after concluding a meeting with other maintenance staff, and while walking to his assigned work location to effectuate repairs to critical facility systems, suffered mortal injury when struck by a facility dump truck. Despite staff’s best efforts to render aid, Mr. Statzer was pronounced dead at 8:05 a.m.
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Jerome Brewer
End of Watch – August 1, 2007
Jerome Brewer died while playing a pickup basketball game at the Indianapolis Juvenile Correctional Facility, where he worked as a community service director. The cause of death was a blood clot.
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Officer Hiram B. McWilliams
End of Watch – November 22, 1911
Officer Hiram McWilliams died as a result of injuries he suffered the previous day during an assault by an inmate at the Indiana Reformatory in Clarksville. Officer McWilliams was struck by an inmate four times with a hammer. He was taken to the institution's hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the following morning. Officer McWilliams was survived by his wife, sister, three brothers and father.
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William Wilson
End of Watch – May 11th, 1987
William Wilson worked at Westville Correctional Facility. He died of a heart attack while on duty. -
Parole Agent Vanessa Cook
End of Watch – November 12, 1980
Vanessa Cook, a parole agent with the Gary Parole District, was reported missing by her family and her body was found a few days later, on Nov. 15. Three males, all from Gary, abducted Agent Cook at gunpoint in her car while in downtown Gary before raping and killing her. They were subsequently arrested and charged, and one was a parolee under her supervision. Agent Cook was the first known female African American, as well as the second known female, law enforcement line of duty death in Indiana.Stokesberry
End of Watch – October 18, 1918
David Lovette and Paul Stokesberry, who worked at the Indiana Boys School, both died from complications of the flu during the 1918 pandemic. Lovette and Stokesberry volunteered to help care for the sick boys at the institution and unfortunately contracted the disease themselves. -
Howard Edward Rice (Industries)
End of Watch – December 29, 1976
Harold Rice worked in Industries at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. An inmate clerk reporting for work to the institution's laundry at 8:00 am, found Corrections Employee Rice on the floor having been brutally beaten. He had been struck on the head 13 times with a blunt instrument and was taken to the infirmary where he was pronounced dead. The institution was placed on lockdown after the incident, but the inmates who perpetrated the attack were not found nor was the weapon used in the assault. The warden initially thought robbery may have been a motive. Corrections Employee Rice had served with the Indiana Department of Correction for a total of 14 years, having previously served as a correctional officer at the prison for 6½ years. He was survived by his wife.
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John H. Grimm
End of Watch – May 8th, 1921
Custody Officer John Grimm was beaten to death by inmates during an attempted escape from the Indiana Reformatory in Clarksville. Upon entering the prison bakery at 10:00 pm, Custody Officer Grimm was beaten with a hammer by six inmates who had plotted to escape from the prison that evening. The inmates then took Custody Officer Grimm's revolver and shot him once through his mouth. As the inmates made their way out of the prison, they seized the weapon of another guard after he was bound and gagged. It was later determined that Custody Officer Grimm died from blunt force trauma to the head. Custody Officer Grimm had served with the Indiana Department of Correction for 18 years.
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Virgil L. Orem
End of Watch – January 21, 1919
Officer Virgil Orem succumbed to injuries he suffered 14 months earlier after being assaulted during an escape attempt at the Indiana Reformatory in Clarksville. On the evening of the assault, two inmates had been called out of their cells to repair a motor in one of the wells at the institution. The inmates, whose intent was to escape, believed Custody Officer Orem possessed the keys to an engineering vault containing ropes and pulleys. As Custody Officer Orem returned to the area where the inmates were working, he was struck about his head with a heavy piece of iron and beaten nearly unconscious. Officer Orem was able to return to work performing light duties after about six weeks, but developed a worsening paralytic condition about a month before he died, on his 41st birthday. Officer Orem had served with the Indiana Department of Correction for two years. He was survived by his wife, three sons, two sisters and three brothers.
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David Lovette
End of Watch – October 17, 1918
Corrections Employee David Lovette died during an outbreak at the Indiana Boys' School near Plainfield amid the 1918 influenza pandemic. After contracting the virus while on duty caring for sick offenders, he was under the care of a physician before he passed away from complications of pneumonia three days later. The outbreak at the Indiana Boys' School left 375 staff and offenders ill with influenza, of whom 93 developed pneumonia resulting in 11 deaths. Corrections Employee Lovette, who was a teacher at the facility, was survived by his wife, three daughters, mother, two brothers and three sisters.
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William T. Spears
End of Watch - October 18th, 1913
Corrections Employee William Spears and Corrections Employee Ora Ambrose were killed in an automobile accident near the Indiana Boys' School in Plainfield.
Corrections Employee Ambrose, Corrections Employee Spears and others had been searching for three boys who escaped from the institution earlier in the afternoon. When the search was called off at dusk, another individual gave up his seat in the vehicle Corrections Employee Ambrose was driving to permit Corrections Employee Spears to return to the institution with him. As they approached a railroad crossing about one-half mile west of Plainfield at 6:00 pm, their vehicle was struck by an eastbound train, killing both of them instantly. Corrections Employee Ambrose was thrown down an embankment 400 feet from the crossing, while Corrections Employee Spears became lodged on the engine pilot. -
Ora D. Ambrose
End of Watch– October 18th, 1913
Corrections Employee Ora Ambrose and Corrections Employee William Spears were killed in an automobile accident near the Indiana Boys' School in Plainfield.
Corrections Employee Ambrose, Corrections Employee Spears and others had been searching for three boys who escaped from the institution earlier in the afternoon. When the search was called off at dusk, another individual gave up his seat in the vehicle Corrections Employee Ambrose was driving to permit Corrections Employee Spears to return to the institution with him. As they approached a railroad crossing about one-half mile west of Plainfield at 6:00 pm, their vehicle was struck by an eastbound train, killing both instantly. Corrections Employee Ambrose was thrown down an embankment 400 feet from the crossing, while Corrections Employee Spears became lodged on the engine pilot.
Corrections Employee Ambrose was survived by his wife and sister. -
Officer Hiram B. McWilliams
End of Watch – November 22, 1911
Officer Hiram McWilliams died as a result of injuries he suffered the previous day during an assault by an inmate at the Indiana Reformatory in Clarksville. Officer McWilliams was struck by an inmate four times with a hammer. He was taken to the institution's hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the following morning. Officer McWilliams was survived by his wife, sister, three brothers and father.
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George Chamberlain
End of Watch – May 11th, 1874
Custody Officer George Chamberlain was shot and killed by inmates during an escape from the Indiana Prison South in Clarksville. At about 4:00 pm, four inmates using knives and revolvers made their way to the gate at the main entrance saying they had been sent to see the clerk. When Custody Officer Chamberlain opened the gate, the inmates pushed him down and rushed out. After Custody Officer Chamberlain recovered and gave chase, one of the inmates turned and shot him through the head. He succumbed to his wound about 20 minutes later.