Roll of Honor
Frieda Belle King
Incident
Correctional Officer Frieda King was stabbed to death with a 12-inch long butcher knife by an inmate near the cold storage area of the kitchen at the Pontiac Correctional Center. The inmate was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. On January 11, 2003, the outgoing governor granted clemency to all 167 Illinois death row inmates as one of his last acts in office. The inmate's sentence was commuted to life without parole. Correctional Officer King had served with the Illinois Department of Corrections for over two years. She was survived by three daughters, four sons, seven sisters, four brothers and three grandchildren. Correctional Officer King is the first known female law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty in the state of Illinois.
Survivors
She was survived by three daughters, four sons, seven sisters, four brothers and three grandchildren.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-7D5B6DC6- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Correctional Officer King gave the Illinois Department of Corrections 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Illinois. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer King.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Correctional Officer Frieda Belle King is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In IL, 842 of 1,318 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.9% of this state's fallen. That is 9.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Illinois Department of Corrections, 27 of 32 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 84.4% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Frieda Belle King's cause is highlighted.
How Frieda Belle King Compares
Offender Outcome
Death sentence commuted
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Frieda Belle King is highlighted in Feb.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Frieda Belle King was killed by edged weapon; knife.
Others Who Wore This Badge
31 officers from Illinois Department of Corrections are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
