Hervey Burnham

Vermont Department of Corrections — Waterbury, VT

Felonious

End of Watch December 4, 1935

Age 56

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

The Vigil Panel 70 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Guard Hervey Burnham was stabbed to death by an inmate in an unprovoked attack at the Vermont State Prison in Windsor. The inmate was walking in the main corridor of the prison when he suddenly attacked Guard Burnham without warning and stabbed him with a potato knife. Other guards were able to subdue the inmate and place him in solitary confinement. The 17-year-old inmate was found to be insane and committed to the Vermont State Hospital. He was removed to a nearby nursing home in the 1980s, where he died from COPD on September 27, 1989. Officer Burnham had served at the Vermont State Prison for two years. He had previously served as the Doorkeeper at the Vermont Capitol for four years, as overseer of the poor, as a deputy sheriff in Chittenden County, and as a state traffic officer for five additional years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, and mother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-VT-C5A8CCB1
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.
Guard Burnham gave the Vermont Department of Corrections 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Vermont. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Guard Burnham.

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

Agency

Department Vermont Department of Corrections

Location Waterbury, VT

Platform Identity vdcorr.washington.vt.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 4, 1935

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Age 56

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon; Knife

Offender Died in mental institution

Guard Hervey Burnham 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 VT, 12 of 31 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 38.7% of this state's fallen. That is 15.5 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Vermont Department of Corrections, 3 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75% of this agency's fallen.

Vermont Department of Corrections

of 4 officers

75% Felonious

VT — Statewide

of 31 officers

38.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious