Incident
Corrections Officer V Melissa Maldonado died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 while assigned to the Garza West Unit at 4250 TX- 202 in Beeville.
Officer Maldonado had served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division for over 12 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Corrections Officer V Melissa Ruth Maldonado died on October 3, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. She was 51.
She is one of 885 officers honored here, and one of 55 at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division.
Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.
Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.
Survivors
She is survived by her father, sister, brother, and two nephews.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
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- 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
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Corrections Officer V Maldonado gave the Texas Department of Criminal Justice 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the Huntsville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corrections Officer V Maldonado.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Illness
Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division has lost 124 officers; 55 of them lost to illness.
Melissa is one of 204 officers lost to illness in TX, 8.4% of the 2,423 remembered there.
Melissa is one of 2,028 officers lost to illness in the United States, 7.4% of the 27,552 remembered there.
Melissa is one of 2,979 officers lost to illness worldwide, 8.7% of the 34,103 remembered here.
34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 2021, 26 officers at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division were lost to illness, more than in any other year.
In 2021, 99 officers in TX were lost to illness, more than in any other year.
In 2021, 564 officers in the United States were lost to illness, more than in any other year.
In 2021, 566 officers worldwide were lost to illness, more than in any other year.
Who
Melissa was 51. Of the 55 lost to illness at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division whose age is recorded, half were between 48.5 and 61; the middle age was 57. Melissa had served 12 years; the middle length of service was 10 years.
Melissa was 51. Of the 201 lost to illness in TX whose age is recorded, half were between 45 and 59; the middle age was 53. Melissa had served 12 years; the middle length of service was 17 years.
Melissa was 51. Of the 1,996 lost to illness in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 42 and 58; the middle age was 51. Melissa had served 12 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.
Melissa was 51. Of the 2,916 lost to illness worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 39 and 56; the middle age was 49. Melissa had served 12 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.
When
October holds 7.3% of these deaths at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division; September holds the most, 18.2%. Sundays: 18.2%.
October holds 10.3% of these deaths in TX; September holds the most, 16.7%. Sundays: 15.2%.
October holds 14.9% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Sundays: 14.2%.
October holds 12.6% of these deaths worldwide, more than any other month. Sundays: 13.2%.
How
Illness deaths account for 44.4% of all 124 deaths at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division, the most common cause.
Illness deaths account for 8.4% of all 2,423 deaths in TX, the 3rd most common cause.
Illness deaths account for 7.4% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the 3rd most common cause.
Illness deaths account for 8.7% of all 34,103 deaths worldwide, the 3rd most common cause.
Her people
Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division has at least 120 officers remembered here, Melissa among them.
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James Monroe Butler May 25, 1882
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George W. Taylor Mar 15, 1884
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Isreal S. Ewan Dec 8, 1887
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Joe Epperson Apr 29, 1889
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Benjamin Williamson Jun 30, 1890
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Jesse F. Goodwin Jul 16, 1890
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James Jackson Dec 15, 1890
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C. B. Foster
Dec 4, 1894
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H. D. Parsons Jul 26, 1898
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Frank Miller Oct 7, 1899
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Joseph F. Wilkerson Apr 23, 1906
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James Elliot Jul 17, 1908
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John L. Wylie Apr 22, 1909
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Charles E. Claiborne Aug 9, 1915
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Walter Isaac Vandorn Aug 12, 1916
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Dewitt Frisby Oliver Sep 17, 1921
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Early A. Lott Mar 25, 1926
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William M. Rader
Jul 22, 1926
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Deb Edward Long
Feb 2, 1928
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Henry Ward
Jul 27, 1928
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Sidney Albert Syms
Sep 29, 1928
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Tommy Mellie Starnes Jun 11, 1931
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James B. Sneed Jul 6, 1931
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John R. Hinson
Nov 3, 1932
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J R McCall Aug 27, 1933
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Major Joe Crowson
Jan 27, 1934
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Virgil Welch
May 10, 1935
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Felix Smith Jun 19, 1936
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George Washington Shiflett
Dec 8, 1936
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John Cleophus Ford
Oct 4, 1937
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John R. Greer Aug 27, 1938
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George T. Preston
Jun 20, 1944
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Benjamin Franklin LaRue
Nov 23, 1946
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Guy Holman, Sr. Jun 29, 1947
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Charles Jesse Baker Jul 21, 1959
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Bobbie B. Bullard
Jun 6, 1963
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George Alan May
Sep 17, 1971
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Robert Alexander Arrington Sep 17, 1971
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Nolan Buckhanan
Jun 14, 1972
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Edward Carter May 31, 1976
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John B. Brown Jul 18, 1977
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Cephus D. Burson Oct 1, 1980
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Wallace Milton Pack
Apr 4, 1981
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Billy M. Moore
Apr 4, 1981
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Dalton B. Cawthray Jan 5, 1984
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Robert A. Hunt Jun 6, 1984
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Minnie R. Houston
Jun 3, 1985
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Joe F. Gurney
Aug 12, 1988
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Sidney L. Lyons
Nov 19, 1989
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Stephen Glenn Stewart
Jan 7, 1994
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Timothy Parsley
Oct 1, 1996
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James Dimanoff Oct 14, 1997
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Bill C. Himstedt
Aug 7, 1998
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Francisco F. Garza
May 31, 1999
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Wilmot A. Burnett
Dec 16, 1999
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Daniel James Nagle
Dec 17, 1999
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Stanley A. Wiley
Jan 29, 2003
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John Murphy Bennett
Jul 17, 2003
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Susan Louise Canfield
Sep 24, 2007
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Barbara Leggett Shumate
Jun 13, 2008
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Kellie Pena
Sep 3, 2010
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Craig Allan Orrell May 12, 2011
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Christopher A. Davis
Jan 14, 2015
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Eligio Ruiz Garcia, Jr.
Jan 14, 2015
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Timothy A. Davison
Jul 15, 2015
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Mari Anne Johnson
Jul 16, 2016
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Shana Renee Tedder
Jun 9, 2017
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Kelvin D. Wilcher
Apr 6, 2020
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Jonathon Keith Goodman, Sr.
Apr 21, 2020
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Coy Dale Coffman, Jr.
Apr 26, 2020
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James David Coleman
Apr 28, 2020
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Jesse Wayne Bolton
May 8, 2020
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Maria Luisa Mendez
May 9, 2020
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Thomas Adedayo Ogungbire
Jun 11, 2020
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Kenneth Wayne Harbin
Jul 4, 2020
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Jerry Esparza
Jul 15, 2020
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Jackson M. Pongay
Jul 19, 2020
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Ruben Martinez
Jul 23, 2020
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Eric Trivonte Johnson
Jul 27, 2020
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Lebouath A. Boua
Aug 12, 2020
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Elizabeth A. Jones
Aug 15, 2020
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Herbert James Garcia
Aug 17, 2020
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James Willard Weston, Jr.
Aug 26, 2020
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Donald Eugene Parker
Oct 1, 2020
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Rodrick L. Rodgers
Nov 11, 2020
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Timothy Lee Beggs
Dec 9, 2020
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Harold Paul Smith, Jr.
Dec 15, 2020
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Phillip D. Holbert
Dec 27, 2020
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Joe Charlie Landin
Dec 28, 2020
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Randall Lewis Sims
Jan 3, 2021
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Treva T. Preston
Jan 15, 2021
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Alfred Jimenez, Jr.
Jan 15, 2021
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Maria Garcia
Jan 22, 2021
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Vickie V. James
Feb 10, 2021
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Taiwo Caroline Obele
Feb 16, 2021
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Tracey Annette Adams
Mar 6, 2021
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Luis Arturo Hernandez, Sr.
Mar 31, 2021
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Jimmy Garcia
Apr 15, 2021
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Daniel Joseph Giorgi
Jul 25, 2021
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Joe Martin Olivares
Aug 18, 2021
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Lakeisha Monique Brantley
Aug 31, 2021
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Honorato Antones
Sep 3, 2021
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Glenn R. Skeens, Jr.
Sep 7, 2021
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Codie Whitley-Turner
Sep 9, 2021
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Echo Rodriguez
Sep 12, 2021
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Shad Eugene Hammond
Sep 13, 2021
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Jose Angel Hernandez
Sep 13, 2021
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Christopher Damon Watson, Sr.
Sep 15, 2021
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Cleadas Gilberto Sherman
Sep 22, 2021
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Charles Ronald Hughes
Sep 25, 2021
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Connell Foreman
Sep 25, 2021
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Melissa Ruth Maldonado
Oct 3, 2021
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Thomas Scott Collora
Oct 5, 2021
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Garland Chaney
Oct 5, 2021
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Kevin Dupree
Nov 2, 2021
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Mark Allen Loecken
Jan 10, 2022
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Darrell Avery
Feb 6, 2022
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John Baron Broadaway
Feb 8, 2022
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Kay W. Zeger, Jr.
Feb 13, 2022
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Jose Ruiz
Mar 1, 2022
Where
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 38-W
What is kept
Photographs, film, sound and papers — what survived a life.
Also Remembered
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial — requiem.nw →
Others Who Wore This Badge
123 officers from Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.















