Cyrus Sells

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction — Columbus, OH

Felonious

End of Watch June 9, 1841

Age 22

The Vigil Panel 1 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 25

Incident

Guard Cyrus Sells was killed by an inmate who attacked him with an ax at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Columbus. The inmate had served seven years of a 15-year sentence for highway robbery.

He was convicted of Guard Sells' murder and hanged February 9th, 1844.

Guard Sells is buried in Section R of Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio.

NEVER FORGET! Honoring the dedicated service and ultimate sacrifice of Guard Cyrus Sells of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, Ohio and the additional 71 American Peace Officers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice on this date in history.

Superintendent Joe Morbitzer (Retired) Ohio Attorneys General, Bureau of Criminal Investigation June 9th, 2025

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-OH-249968AA
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Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

185 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Guard Sells served with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
Thank you for your service to the Columbus community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction

Location Columbus, OH

Platform Identity odrc.franklin.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 9, 1841

Age 22

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Assault

Weapon Edged weapon; Axe

Offender Executed in 1844

Guard Cyrus Sells 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 OH, 572 of 991 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.7% of this state's fallen. That is 3.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, 18 of 26 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.2% of this agency's fallen.

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction

of 26 officers

69.2% Felonious

OH — Statewide

572

of 991 officers

57.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious