Joseph Ralph Silva

New Mexico Corrections Department — Santa Fe, NM

Felonious

End of Watch April 3, 1987

Age 29

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

The Vigil Panel 132 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Lieutenant Joseph Silva was killed when he was assaulted by a prisoner for whom he had written a disciplinary report for possessing a shank. After the prisoner was found guilty by a review board he asked to speak with Lieutenant Silva in his office in the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility near Las Cruces. Other officers were alerted to a problem when Lieutenant Silva pressed the emergency button on his radio and found him bleeding from the head and a two-by-four on the floor nearby. The prisoner was convicted of the murder and had 18 months added to his two life sentences. Lieutenant Silva had served with the New Mexico Corrections Department for four years but had been in law enforcement with several agencies beforehand.

Survivors

He was survived by his two sons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NM-21A47F78
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.
Lieutenant Silva gave the New Mexico Corrections Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Santa Fe community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Silva.

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

Agency

Department New Mexico Corrections Department

Location Santa Fe, NM

Platform Identity nmcdcorr.santafe.nm.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 3, 1987

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Age 29

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Blunt object; Lumber

Offender Added 18 months to 2 life sentences

Lieutenant Joseph Ralph Silva 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 NM, 123 of 193 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.7% of this state's fallen. That is 9.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At New Mexico Corrections Department, 4 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 80% of this agency's fallen.

New Mexico Corrections Department

of 5 officers

80% Felonious

NM — Statewide

123

of 193 officers

63.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious