Roll of Honor
Robert J. McCarthy
Incident
Correctional Officer Robert McCarthy was stabbed and killed while working at the Central Correctional Training Facility in Soledad. Officer McCarthy was mortally wounded at 11:10 pm during the nightly head count in X wing. He was stabbed in the neck when a rape convict called him to a cell under the pretext of mailing a letter. The convict was also awaiting trial on charges of assaulting a guard in December, 1970. On August 21, 1971, he was involved in a riot at San Quentin Prison that resulted in the murders of three correctional officers, Officer Paul Krasenes, Officer Jere Graham, and Officer Frank Deleon. He was one of six convicts charged with their murders. They became known as the "San Quentin Six" and their 16 month trial was the longest and most expensive in California's history. Officer McCarthy's killer was sentenced to life and has been denied parole nine times. He was stabbed to death during a prison riot at Folsom Penitentiary on August 12, 2015.
Survivors
Officer McCarthy had been employed at Soledad since November 1966 and was survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-19A08570- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- 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.
Correctional Officer McCarthy gave the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer McCarthy.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Correctional Officer Robert J. McCarthy 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 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 53 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
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.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Robert J. McCarthy's cause is highlighted.
How Robert J. McCarthy Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Robert J. McCarthy is highlighted in Mar.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Robert J. McCarthy was killed by edged weapon.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
41 officers from California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
