Alje M. Savela
Agency patch
Patrolman

Alje M. Savela

Massachusetts State Police — Framingham, MA
Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch August 31, 1951
Age 35
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Alje Savela was shot and killed while making a traffic stop on Route 122 in Barre at 8:20 pm. A farmer heard several gunshots and found Patrolman Savela's body with seven 9 mm gunshot wounds. One of the suspects in the case later shot and killed Assistant Superintendent James Godwin of the Florida Department of Corrections during an escape attempt on April 4th, 1955. The inmate died in prison. Patrolman Savela was a United States Navy WWII veteran and had served with the Massachusetts State Police for four years, assigned to A Troop. He was survived by his expectant wife, mother, and brother. The range at the Massachusetts State Police Academy is named in his honor. He is buried at North Cemetery in Lunenburg, Massachusetts.

Survivors

Survivors!

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
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Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Patrolman Savela gave the Massachusetts State Police 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Massachusetts, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type State Police
Location Framingham, MA
Platform Identity masp.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 31, 1951
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Age 35
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Alje M. Savela served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Alje is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1951, 65 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 113th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Alje was 35. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Alje had served 4 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

August holds 8.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Massachusetts State Police has 38 officers remembered here, Alje among them.

VI

Where

Patrolman Alje M. Savela

Massachusetts State Police · End of Watch August 31, 1951

Military Service

Alje M. Savela served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.

Visit Alje M. Savela’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 30-W

Also Remembered

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