Edward L. Boyer
Agency patch
Corrections Employee

Edward L. Boyer

Felonious
End of Watch June 5, 1977
Age 49
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 6 mo
The Vigil Panel 118 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Corrections Employee Edward Boyer died from a blow to the head from an inmate in the dining area of State Correctional Institute-Graterford. In 1975 the inmate was sentenced to three life terms for the murders of two children and an FBI informant in Pittsburgh. On December 8th, 1977, he was convicted of Mr. Boyer's murder and received another life sentence. On April 2nd, 1978, he was found dead in his cell at State Correctional Institute-Graterford. An autopsy revealed that he died from a blood clot. Mr. Boyer was Food Service Instructor for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-PA-1AB4A1C2
Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

You barely got started.
Corrections Employee Boyer gave the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the people of Pennsylvania. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corrections Employee Boyer.

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

Agency

Type Corrections
Location Mechanicsburg, PA
Platform Identity pdcorr.cumberland.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 5, 1977
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 6 mo
Age 49
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Person

Corrections Employee Edward L. Boyer 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 PA, 597 of 1,261 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 47.3% of this state's fallen. That is 47.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, 13 of 18 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 72.2% of this agency's fallen.

Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
13
of 18 officers
72.2% Felonious
PA — Statewide
597
of 1,261 officers
47.3% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Edward L. Boyer's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Edward L. Boyer Compares

Age at Death
49
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
1.5
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Edward L. Boyer is highlighted in Jun.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Edward L. Boyer was killed by person.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Incident Location