William Robert Mayfield

Oklahoma Department of Corrections — Oklahoma City, OK

Felonious

End of Watch January 20, 1926

Age 46

The Vigil Panel 50 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 18

Incident

Correctional Officer William Mayfield succumbed to a head wound sustained the previous day when an inmate struck him in the head with a brick at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. The 24-year-old inmate was shot by another guard. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. His sentence was later commuted to life. In 1928 he was granted a new trial, adjudged insane, and sent to the state insane asylum. When the suspect murdered Correctional Officer Mayfield he was serving a five year sentence for burglary and a additional 27 years for manslaughter for killing his cell mate six months earlier. Officer Mayfield was superintendent of the penitentiary brick yard. He was survived by his wife and four children.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and four children. He was survived by another daughter by his first wife who preceded him in death.

In Our Keeping

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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.
Correctional Officer Mayfield served with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
Thank you for your service to the people of Oklahoma. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Mayfield.

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

Agency

Department Oklahoma Department of Corrections

Location Oklahoma City, OK

Platform Identity odcorr.oklahoma.ok.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 20, 1926

Age 46

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Blunt object; Brick

Offender Committed to mental hopital

Correctional Officer William Robert Mayfield 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 OK, 403 of 582 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.2% of this state's fallen. That is 15 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Oklahoma Department of Corrections, 14 of 19 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 73.7% of this agency's fallen.

Oklahoma Department of Corrections

of 19 officers

73.7% Felonious

OK — Statewide

403

of 582 officers

69.2% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious