James Michael Francke

Oregon Department of Corrections — Salem, OR

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch January 17, 1989

Age 43

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

The Vigil Panel 134 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 10

Incident

Corrections Director Mike Francke was stabbed to death in the Oregon Department of Corrections headquarters parking lot on Bittern Street in Salem. A former inmate of the prison system was convicted of his murder and sentenced to life in prison. In April 2019 he was released after a federal judge ordered that he be retried or released within 90 days. Director Francke was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the Oregon Department of Corrections for six years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OR-ABE57363
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. Navy. One record, 2 gates. James is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Corrections Director Francke gave the Oregon Department of Corrections 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Oregon, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Oregon Department of Corrections

Type Corrections

Location Salem, OR

Platform Identity odcorr.marion.or.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 17, 1989

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 43

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon

Military Service

James Michael Francke served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Corrections Director James Michael Francke 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In OR, 115 of 197 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58.4% of this state's fallen. That is 58.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Oregon Department of Corrections, 10 of 11 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 90.9% of this agency's fallen.

Oregon Department of Corrections

of 11 officers

90.9% Felonious

OR — Statewide

115

of 197 officers

58.4% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious