Lester B. Sumner

Florida Department of Corrections — Tallahassee, FL

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch April 26, 1965

Age 51

The Vigil Panel 100 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 32

Incident

Guard Lester Sumner was stabbed to death with a makeshift bayonet when he was attacked by three inmates at the Fort Myers Road Prison. Guard Sumner was overseeing four inmates who were mowing grass on Punta Passa Road, in Lee County, when three of them suddenly attacked him and his driver. After they killed Guard Sumner, they tied his driver to a nearby tree and fled in the prison truck. Two were captured later that day by a state trooper near Naples after he saw them abandoning the stolen truck. One admitted that he stabbed Guard Sumner and said it was an accident. The third inmate escaped into the nearby Everglades. Guard Sumner's body was found in the back of the truck. The third inmate was captured by FBI agents six months later in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. All three inmates, 21, 21, and 26, were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life on February 10th, 1966. Guard Sumner was a WWII veteran.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and five children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-00ABFC76
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.
Guard Sumner served with the Florida Department of Corrections.
Thank you for your service to the people of Florida, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Florida Department of Corrections

Location Tallahassee, FL

Platform Identity fdcorr.leon.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 26, 1965

Age 51

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon

Offender Sentenced to life

Military Service

Lester B. Sumner served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Guard Lester B. Sumner 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 FL, 539 of 1,008 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.5% of this state's fallen. That is 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Florida Department of Corrections, 11 of 33 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.

Florida Department of Corrections

of 33 officers

33.3% Felonious

FL — Statewide

539

of 1,008 officers

53.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious