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Guard

Daniel Heavey

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction — Columbus, OH

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch January 19, 1865

Age 65

Tour of Duty 34 yrs

The Vigil Panel 9 · Column 4 · Line 10 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Also Remembered Department 25

Incident

Guard Daniel Heavey was stabbed to death by an inmate inside of the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus.

The 31-year-old inmate was serving a life sentence for murdering his father in 1860 had threatened to kill Guard Heavey, the warden, or the deputy warden, if he didn't receive a new trial by January 18th, 1865.

He had been allowed out of his cell to move coal as part of his duties in the wing for the insane. After moving several loads he approached Guard Heavey and two inmates as they stood next to a stove. Guard Heavey asked him how he was doing and then the inmate suddenly attacked him. He stabbed him once in the chest with a shoemaker's knife, and then attacked the two other inmates. Guard Heavey chased him for about sixty yards and fired several shots at him before collapsing.

The inmate who asked to be executed was sent back to the insane ward.

Guard Heavey had served at the Ohio State Penitentiary for 34 years. He was survived by his wife and three grown sons. He served a term in the U.S. Navy during the 1820s. Captured Confederate General, John Hunt Morgan, who escaped with his officers from the prison in 1863, said he could have never done so if Guard Heavey had been in charge of the prison.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three grown sons.

In Our Keeping

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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.
Guard Heavey gave the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction 34 years.
Thank you for your service to the Columbus community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction

Type Corrections

Location Columbus, Franklin County, OH

Platform Identity odrc.franklin.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 19, 1865

Tour of Duty 34 yrs

Age 65

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon; Knife

Military Service

Daniel Heavey served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Daniel 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.

Compare against

Time

In 1865, 15 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 165th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Daniel was 65. 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. Daniel had served 34 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

January holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was edged weapon; knife, in 0.8% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded