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Turnkey

Fredrick Pfliiger

Massachusetts Department of Correction — Milford, MA

Felonious

End of Watch November 11, 1928

Age 41

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

The Vigil Panel 56 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 14

Incident

Turnkey Frederick Pfliiger was shot and killed by an inmate who was attempting to escape the State Prison at Charlestown.

The prisoner had been attending a religious service in the chapel. When the prisoners were returning to their cells, a count of the line revealed that the suspect was missing. The escape alarm was sounded and Turnkey Pfliiger ran to assist in the search. As Turnkey Pfliiger approached the suspect's hiding spot, the suspect appeared and opened fire, killing Turnkey Pfliiger. The suspect then exchanged several shots with other guards before he was finally taken into custody.

The suspect later told guards that he found the gun on a bench in the prison shop. He was serving a sentence of 15 to 18 years he received in 1927 for armed robbery. His criminal record dated back to 1921 when he was classified as a juvenile delinquent. On two occasions he shot it out with officers before he was arrested. He was convicted of Turnkey Pfliiger's murder and executed in the electric chair on December 3, 1929.

Turnkey Pfliiger had served with the Massachusetts Department of Correction for 20 years.

Turnkey Pfliiger, it has been 96 years since you were taken from us. New England law enforcement continues to serve and protect and make life secure for our part of the country. I honor your 20 years of law enforcement service to the citizens of Massachusetts.

Chief (Ret) Steven Marshall Georges Mills, NH November 11th, 2024

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-176A973C
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

20 years. You could have gone home.
Turnkey Pfliiger gave the Massachusetts Department of Correction 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Milford community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Turnkey Pfliiger.

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

Agency

Department Massachusetts Department of Correction

Location Milford, MA

Platform Identity mdc.worcester.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 11, 1928

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

Age 41

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Handgun; Revolver

Offender Executed in 1929

Turnkey Fredrick Pfliiger 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 MA, 199 of 469 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.4% of this state's fallen. That is 11.8 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Massachusetts Department of Correction, 13 of 15 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 86.7% of this agency's fallen.

Massachusetts Department of Correction

of 15 officers

86.7% Felonious

MA — Statewide

199

of 469 officers

42.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious