Leonard Tatro
Agency patch
Corrections Employee

Leonard Tatro

Felonious
End of Watch January 19, 1968
Age 63
The Vigil Panel 103 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Corrections Employee Leonard Tatro was stabbed to death just after midnight during an escape by two youths at the Kankakee Minimum Security Unit. The two youths used a knife which had been smuggled out of the kitchen the night before. After the attack, the youths who stabbed Corrections Employee Tatro escaped in his car, but were apprehended by Chicago police officers the next day. Both youths pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder in adult court, one of the first such cases in Will County. They were sentenced to 15 to 25 years.

Survivors

Corrections Employee Tatro was survived by his wife, two sons and six grandsons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-5E631979
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.
Corrections Employee Tatro served with the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Thank you for your service to the people of Illinois. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corrections Employee Tatro.

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

Agency

Location Springfield, IL
Platform Identity illicorr.sangamon.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 19, 1968
Age 63
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Edged weapon; Knife
Offender Sentenced to 15 to 25 years

Corrections Employee Leonard Tatro 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 IL, 842 of 1,318 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.9% of this state's fallen. That is 9.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Illinois Department of Corrections, 27 of 32 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 84.4% of this agency's fallen.

Illinois Department of Corrections
27
of 32 officers
84.4% Felonious
IL — Statewide
842
of 1,318 officers
63.9% Felonious
Nationwide
17,623
of 32,508 officers
54.2% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Leonard Tatro's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,623 (54.2%)
Accident
10,088 (31%)
Illness
2,974 (9.1%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
260 (0.8%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)
vehicular
1 (0%)

How Leonard Tatro Compares

Age at End of Watch
63
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

Offender Outcome

Sentenced to 15 to 25 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Leonard Tatro is highlighted in Jan.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,517
May
1,505
Jun
1,443
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,516
Sep
1,553
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Leonard Tatro was killed by edged weapon; knife.

Gun; Unknown type
5,083
Handgun
2,077
Shotgun
922
Officer's handgun
909
Automobile; Alcohol involved
530
Rifle
518