Edgar A. Barr

United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons — Washington, DC

Felonious

End of Watch March 19, 1917

Age 42

The Vigil Panel 32 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 33

Incident

Correctional Officer Edgar Barr was stabbed to death at the United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas. He had been involved in an altercation with an inmate earlier in the day over a pair of shoes he stole from another inmate. The inmate obtained a wood chisel, hid it in his coat, and then went and located Officer Barr. As he approached Officer Barr another argument ensued, and as Officer Barr raised his club to defend himself, the inmate stabbed him in the chest with the chisel. The 29-year-old inmate had been in prison since 1910 serving a 25 year sentence for the murder of a man in Nome, Alaska. He was convicted of Officer Barr's murder and sentenced to death. In 1919 he received a new trial and was sentenced to life. He died at the Federal Penitentiary in LA Tuna, Texas, on June 6, 1955.

Survivors

Officer Barr was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-AC9D0B78
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.
Correctional Officer Barr served with the United States Department of Justice.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Barr.

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

Agency

Department United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usdjfbpfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 19, 1917

Age 42

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon; Chisel

Offender Died in prison in 1955

Correctional Officer Edgar A. Barr 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 DC, 754 of 1,419 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons, 26 of 34 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 76.5% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons

of 34 officers

76.5% Felonious

DC — Statewide

754

of 1,419 officers

53.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious