Jeremiah Murphy

New York City Department of Correction — East Elmhurst, NY

Felonious

End of Watch November 3, 1926

Age 49

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

The Vigil Panel 52 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 9

Incident

Keeper Murphy and Warden Peter Mallon were shot and killed when three prisoners tried to escape the Tombs Jail. Pistols had been smuggled into the jail for all three prisoners. The three men faked an illness and were brought to the jail doctor. While they were in the doctor's office, they pulled their guns and attempted to escape. Warden Mallon heard the commotion from his office and came running to stop the escape. The suspect shot and killed him as he entered the doctor's office.

The suspects then fled into the courtyard of the prison where they exchanged shots with Keeper Murphy and his partner. Keeper Murphy was killed and his partner was wounded. As the suspects continued their escape attempt, two were shot and wounded by responding New York City Patrolmen. With no escape possible, all three suspects committed suicide.

Two of the suspects were members of a New York City gang that had robbed merchants. On February 20, 1925, a third member of the gang had murdered Guard Robert Holtman of the Maryland State Division of Corrections, during a successful escape attempt from the state penitentiary in Baltimore, Maryland. The suspect was apprehended in New York, returned to Maryland, and executed on August 14, 1926.

RIP NYC Correction Keeper Murphy

Retired Police Officer NYPD November 3rd, 2023

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NY-63E35348
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Keeper Murphy gave the New York City Department of Correction 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the East Elmhurst community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Keeper Murphy.

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

Agency

Department New York City Department of Correction

Location East Elmhurst, NY

Platform Identity nydc.queens.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 3, 1926

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

Age 49

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Handgun; Pistol

Offender Committed suicide

Keeper Jeremiah Murphy 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 NY, 754 of 2,147 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 35.1% of this state's fallen. That is 19.1 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At New York City Department of Correction, 9 of 10 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 90% of this agency's fallen.

New York City Department of Correction

of 10 officers

90% Felonious

NY — Statewide

754

of 2,147 officers

35.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious