Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Tom Holmes was beaten to death by a prisoner he was guarding inside the Perry County Jail.
The Perry County sheriff discovered Deputy Holmes' lifeless body when he entered the jail in the early morning. Because the jail had no cell, Deputy Holmes had been locked inside with the prisoner. The prisoner had managed to slip out of his shackles and crushed Deputy Holmes' skull with a piece of wood.
As soon as Perryville citizens learned of the murder, a mob of armed men forced their way into the jail, seized the prisoner, and hanged him from the nearest tree.
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." Matthew 5:9
Chris Di Gerolamo Federal Air Marshal Service June 24th, 2022
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-AR-10010CB6- 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
134 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Sheriff Holmes served with the Perry County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Perryville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff Tom Holmes 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 AR, 249 of 372 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.9% of this state's fallen. That is 12.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Perry County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Tom Holmes's cause is highlighted.
How Tom Holmes Compares
Offender Outcome
Lynched
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Tom Holmes is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Tom Holmes was killed by blunt object; lumber.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Perry County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
