Jerry Sanders

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation — Sacramento, CA

Felonious

End of Watch November 27, 1973

Age 35

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

The Vigil Panel 113 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 41

Incident

Correctional Officer Jerry Sanders was stabbed and killed while working at the Deuel Vocational Institution. Two inmates, both members of the radical Black Panthers, were charged with his murder. Their first trial ended with a hung jury. In the second trial, both were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. The California Supreme Court overturned their convictions and ordered a third trial, which ended with another hung jury. In 1981, their fourth trial resulted in an acquittal for both. One inmate, serving a sentence for armed robbery, was released. The other inmate, serving a life sentence for a previous murder conviction, remained in prison. Officer Sanders had served with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for six years. Survivors include a son, daughter, father, brother, and three uncles. The Black Panther Party was a black nationalist and Marxist revolutionary political and militant organization active in the United States between 1966 and 1982. Members and former members of the group were responsible for the murders of over 20 law enforcement officers and the wounding of dozens more across the nation. Please click here to visit all the law enforcement officers who have died as a result of the Black Panther Party's violent activism.

Survivors

Survivors include a son, daughter, father, brother, and three uncles.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-4A3DB412
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 Sanders gave the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Sanders.

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

Agency

Department California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Location Sacramento, CA

Platform Identity cdcrcorr.sacramento.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 27, 1973

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 35

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon

Offender Acquitted

Correctional Officer Jerry Sanders 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 CA, 974 of 1,837 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53% of this state's fallen. That is 1.2 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 30 of 42 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 71.4% of this agency's fallen.

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

of 42 officers

71.4% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious