Argentra Cotton

Mississippi Department of Corrections — Jackson, MS

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch July 18, 1989

Age 34

The Vigil Panel 134 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 8

Incident

Correctional Officer Argentra Cotton was stabbed to death by a maximum security inmate in the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman, Mississippi. The inmate had escaped from his cell-block and stabbed Officer Cotton to death with a shank. The inmate attacked Officer Cotton from behind and stabbed him several times in the neck and back. Another officer was able to draw the inmate's attention away from Officer Cotton long enough for Officer Cotton to escape into the control tower. The inmate was taken into custody a short time later. Officer Cotton was transported to Bolivar County Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds a short time later. The suspect was charged with Officer Cotton's murder and was sentenced to death.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MS-402027B9
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Argentra is one person.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Correctional Officer Cotton served with the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
Thank you for your service to the people of Mississippi. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Cotton.

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

Agency

Department Mississippi Department of Corrections

Type Corrections

Location Jackson, MS

Platform Identity mdcorr.hinds.ms.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 18, 1989

Age 34

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon

Military Service

Argentra Cotton served in the U.S. Army (1974â1976) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Correctional Officer Argentra Cotton is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In MS, 243 of 350 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.4% of this state's fallen. That is 69.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Mississippi Department of Corrections, 7 of 9 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 77.8% of this agency's fallen.

Mississippi Department of Corrections

of 9 officers

77.8% Felonious

MS — Statewide

243

of 350 officers

69.4% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious