John R. Hinson
Agency patch
Correction Officer

John R. Hinson

Felonious
End of Watch November 3, 1932
Age 62
The Vigil Panel 65 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Correction Officer John Hinson succumbed to wounds sustained from three prisoners escaping the Eastham State prison farm, correctly renamed the Wainwright Unit, at 2665 Prison Road 1 in Lovelady.

Officer Hinton was struck in the head with a pitchfork and knocked from his horse by three convicts, and his shotgun and pistol were taken. Hinson was beaten with the pitchfork handle once he was on the ground. The prisoners escaped while the remainder of the work detail carried Hinson to the hospital.

A posse with bloodhounds cornered one escapee. When he refused to surrender, he was shot to death by guards, who thought he was still armed with Hinson’s gun. The posse caught the other two convicts near Madisonville Sunday after an all-night hunt. Hinson’s pistol and shotgun were recovered on the convicts.

Hinson died at a Huntsville hospital on Thursday, November 3, 1932. The two escapees confessed to the beating death of Officer Hinson. No further information as to the sentences they received.

Correctional Officer was survived by his wife and at least two children.

Hinson died at a Huntsville hospital on Thursday, November 3, 1932.

The two escapees confessed to the beating death of Officer Hinson. No further information as to the sentences they received.

Survivors

Correctional Officer was survived by his wife and at least two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-5AFC87B9
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

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Correction Officer Hinson served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Thank you for your service to the Huntsville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correction Officer Hinson.

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

Agency

Type Corrections
Location Huntsville, TX
Platform Identity tdcjcidcorr.walker.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 3, 1932
Age 62
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Assault
Weapon Blunt object

Correction Officer John R. Hinson 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 TX, 1,461 of 2,422 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.3% of this state's fallen. That is 60.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division, 31 of 124 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 25% of this agency's fallen.

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division
31
of 124 officers
25% Felonious
TX — Statewide
1,461
of 2,422 officers
60.3% 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. John R. Hinson's cause is highlighted.

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

How John R. Hinson Compares

Age at Death
62
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John R. Hinson is highlighted in Nov.

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. John R. Hinson was killed by blunt object.

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

Incident Location