Alje M. Savela

Massachusetts State Police — Framingham, MA

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch August 31, 1951

Age 35

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

The Vigil Panel 87 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 37

Incident

Patrolman Alje Savela was shot and killed while making a traffic stop on Route 122 in Barre at 8:20 pm. A farmer heard several gunshots and found Patrolman Savela's body with seven 9 mm gunshot wounds. One of the suspects in the case later shot and killed Assistant Superintendent James Godwin of the Florida Department of Corrections during an escape attempt on April 4th, 1955. The inmate died in prison. Patrolman Savela was a United States Navy WWII veteran and had served with the Massachusetts State Police for four years, assigned to A Troop. He was survived by his expectant wife, mother, and brother. The range at the Massachusetts State Police Academy is named in his honor. He is buried at North Cemetery in Lunenburg, Massachusetts.

Survivors

Survivors!

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-F7241DC7
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.
Patrolman Savela gave the Massachusetts State Police 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Massachusetts, 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 Massachusetts State Police

Location Framingham, MA

Platform Identity masp.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 31, 1951

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Age 35

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; 9 mm

Offender Never identified

Military Service

Alje M. Savela served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Patrolman Alje M. Savela 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 State Police, 7 of 38 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 18.4% of this agency's fallen.

Massachusetts State Police

of 38 officers

18.4% Felonious

MA — Statewide

199

of 469 officers

42.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious