Roll of Honor
Leslie John Besci
Incident
Correctional Officer Leslie Besci was murdered when two former juvenile inmates from the youth correctional center where he worked, broke into his house, tied him up, and beat him to death with a baseball bat. Both were apprehended. On December 20, 1995, both suspects, both 21, were convicted of second degree murder. One was sentenced to life. The other was sentenced to 20 years. He was paroled on June 11, 2002. Officer Besci had been assigned to the Sandhills Youth Center in Hoke County. He was a retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NC-F79FF705- 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 Besci gave the North Carolina Department of Public Safety 16 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of North Carolina, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Leslie John Besci served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Correctional Officer Leslie John Besci 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 NC, 385 of 664 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58% of this state's fallen. That is 3.8 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At North Carolina Department of Public Safety - Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice, 13 of 31 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 41.9% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Leslie John Besci's cause is highlighted.
How Leslie John Besci Compares
Offender Outcome
One sentenced to life
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Leslie John Besci is highlighted in Jun.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Leslie John Besci was killed by blunt object; bat.
Others Who Wore This Badge
30 officers from North Carolina Department of Public Safety - Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
