Roll of Honor
Merle E. Clutts
Incident
Correctional Officer Merle Clutts was killed when he was stabbed by an inmate with a homemade prison shank at USP Marion in Marion, Illinois, at 10:15 a.m. The suspect, a former leader of the Aryan Brotherhood, was being escorted back to his cell after having a shower when another inmate slipped him a shank. The suspect then ran down the tier and attacked Correctional Officer Clutts, whom he had a vendetta against. By the time the officers got the suspect off Correctional Officer Clutts and got him to safety, he had been stabbed 40 times. Two other officers were also injured. The suspect was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, where he died in May 2019. Prior to Officer Clutts' murder, the suspect had murdered three fellow inmates. One of the three shot and killed Officer Henry W. Jennings of the Hartford, Connecticut, Police Department on May 25, 1964. Just eight hours later, Correctional Officer Robert Hoffmann would be murdered in the same prison in an unrelated incident. Correctional Officer Clutts was a United States Army Korean War veteran and had served with the Federal Bureau of Prisons for 19 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-AB759B0E- 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 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 Clutts gave the United States Department of Justice 19 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Merle E. Clutts served in the Army (1953â1955) before joining law enforcement.
Correctional Officer Merle E. Clutts 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.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Merle E. Clutts's cause is highlighted.
How Merle E. Clutts Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to life
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Merle E. Clutts is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Merle E. Clutts was killed by edged weapon; shank.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
33 officers from United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
