Roll of Honor
Benjamin Franklin LaRue
Incident
Guard Ben LaRue was beaten to death with a hammer by two inmates inside an employee's apartment, across the street from the state prison in Huntsville.
The two men had gone to the apartment to repair a telephone. After beating Guard LaRue, the two were changing clothes in the apartment when they were interrupted by a juvenile trusty. The two inmates tied the boy up and then fled with Guard LaRue's service revolver.
The boy was able to free himself after about 30 minutes and called for help. A posse of over 1,000 men was sent out in search for the two suspects. The two suspects were finally stopped when they got into a fight with a 72-year-old farmer in Rosebud. The farmer, who weighed 140 pounds, shot and killed one , 23, during the altercation and shot and critically wounded the other who was 26. The wounded inmate recovered and was charged with murder.
On September 25, 1947, the inmate was convicted of murder and sentenced to life. He was paroled on October 25, 1961.
Guard LaRue had served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for 7 years. He was survived by his wife and six sons. He was buried at Center Hill Cemetery near Crockett, Texas.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and six sons.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-ECE0893E- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Guard LaRue gave the Texas Department of Criminal Justice 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Huntsville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Guard LaRue.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Guard Benjamin Franklin LaRue is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.
In TX, 1,460 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.3% of this state's fallen. That is 60.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division, 31 of 124 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 25% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Benjamin Franklin LaRue's cause is highlighted.
How Benjamin Franklin LaRue Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Benjamin Franklin LaRue is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Benjamin Franklin LaRue was killed by blunt object; hammer.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
123 officers from Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
