Bernard Fancher

Michigan Department of Corrections — Lansing, MI

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch April 28, 1960

Age 40

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

The Vigil Panel 95 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 14

Incident

Corrections Employee Barney Fancher, an assistant athletic director at the State Prison of Southern Michigan, was stabbed to death by a prisoner described as having a long grudge against him. According to witnesses, Barney Fancher was sitting at his desk when a prisoner approached him swinging a baseball bat. Barney Fancher and another employee ran from the office, but Barney Fancher fell over a wheelbarrow. The prisoner immediately fell upon Fancher and stabbed him 13 times. The prisoner, 25, who was serving a life sentence for a 1953 murder in Detroit, was declared insane and sent to the Ionia State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Earlier in the year, Barney Fancher fired the prisoner from his cleanup job at the gymnasium for being loud and abusive. Corrections Employee Fancher was a United States Army World War II veteran. He had served with the Michigan Department of Corrections for seven years, starting as a guard and later managing the Jackson recreational baseball league, as well as serving as the assistant athletic director.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, three sons, and a daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MI-9B0DC415
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.
Corrections Employee Fancher gave the Michigan Department of Corrections 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Michigan, 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 Michigan Department of Corrections

Location Lansing, MI

Platform Identity michcorr.ingham.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 28, 1960

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

Age 40

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon

Offender Committed

Military Service

Bernard Fancher served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Corrections Employee Bernard Fancher 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 MI, 426 of 718 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 59.3% of this state's fallen. That is 5.1 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Michigan Department of Corrections, 9 of 15 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.

Michigan Department of Corrections

of 15 officers

60% Felonious

MI — Statewide

426

of 718 officers

59.3% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious