Roll of Honor
Incident
Guard F. M. Isaacs died of injuries he received when he was shot during an escape from the Nevada State Penitentiary.
Twenty-nine inmates staged an escape from the Nevada State Penitentiary at Carson City. Guard Isaacs of the Gold Hill penitentiary was in the yard when the prisoners began to flee. Guard Isaacs began firing but was hit with a bullet that broke his right knee. A second shot struck him in the hip.
Guard Isaacs did not recover from his injuries and died three weeks later.
The September 17, 1871 prison break was the largest prison break in American History. Of the 29 who escaped, 18 were captured and returned to prison. Nine were never seen again. Two were lynched by an angry mob who seized them from a posse who captured them near Mammoth Lakes, California, six days later. A lake they were hanged near was renamed Convict Lake.
During a shootout with the three escapees, Possemen Robert Morrison and Mono Jim of the Mono County, California, Sheriff's Dept. were shot and killed. Two of those men were executed. The third was returned to prison.
Guard Isaacs had served with the Nevada State Prison for five years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NV-98482C40- 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
155 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Prison Guard Isaacs gave the Nevada State Prison 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Carson City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Prison Guard F. M. Isaacs 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 NV, 81 of 145 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 55.9% of this state's fallen. That is 1.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Nevada State Prison, 1 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. F. M. Isaacs's cause is highlighted.
How F. M. Isaacs Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. F. M. Isaacs is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Nevada State Prison are honored on badge.nw.
