End of Watch June 28, 1992
Age 48
Tour of Duty 16 yrs
The Vigil Panel 138 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Correctional Officer Leslie Besci was murdered when two former juvenile inmates from the youth correctional center where he worked, broke into his house, tied him up, and beat him to death with a baseball bat. Both were apprehended. On December 20, 1995, both suspects, both 21, were convicted of second degree murder. One was sentenced to life. The other was sentenced to 20 years. He was paroled on June 11, 2002. Officer Besci had been assigned to the Sandhills Youth Center in Hoke County. He was a retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-NC-F79FF705
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 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.
Correctional Officer Besci gave the North Carolina Department of Public Safety 16 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of North Carolina, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Type Corrections
Location Raleigh, NC
Platform Identity ncdpsdacjjdps.wake.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 28, 1992
Tour of Duty 16 yrs
Age 48
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Blunt object

Military Service

Leslie John Besci served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Correctional Officer Leslie John Besci 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 NC, 385 of 664 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58% of this state's fallen. That is 58 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At North Carolina Department of Public Safety - Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice, 13 of 31 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 41.9% of this agency's fallen.

North Carolina Department of Public Safety - Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice
13
of 31 officers
41.9% Felonious
NC — Statewide
385
of 664 officers
58% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Leslie John Besci's cause is highlighted.

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

How Leslie John Besci Compares

Age at Death
48
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
16
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Leslie John Besci is highlighted in Jun.

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. Leslie John Besci 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

Military Service

Leslie John Besci served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.

Visit Leslie John Besci’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.