James Delahunty

Nebraska Department of Correctional Services — Lincoln, NE

Felonious

End of Watch March 14, 1912

Age 55

The Vigil Panel 26 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 6

Incident

Warden James Delahunty, Officer E.G. Heilman and Deputy Warden Henry Wagner were shot and killed during a prison escape attempt. The three prisoners were able to break out of the jail and one was re-captured, however, one of the two remaining committed suicide before being taken into custody, and the other was killed by a posse. A hostage the convicts had taken was also killed in a gunfight with the posse. Warden Delahunty is buried in St Mary Cemetery, West Peoria, Illinois.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-NE-0F1E6D12
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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

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Warden Delahunty served with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services.
Thank you for your service to the Lincoln community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Warden Delahunty.

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

Agency

Department Nebraska Department of Correctional Services

Type Corrections

Location Lincoln, NE

Platform Identity ndcscorr.lancaster.ne.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 14, 1912

Age 55

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Warden James Delahunty 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 97,775 officers honored here.

In NE, 97 of 151 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.2% of this state's fallen. That is 64.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, 6 of 7 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 85.7% of this agency's fallen.

Nebraska Department of Correctional Services

of 7 officers

85.7% Felonious

NE — Statewide

of 151 officers

64.2% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,775 officers

0% Felonious