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Robert J. McCarthy
Agency patch
Correctional Officer

Robert J. McCarthy

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation — Sacramento, CA
Felonious
United States flag California flag
End of Watch March 4, 1971
Age 43
Tour of Duty 4 yrs 4 mo
The Vigil Panel 108 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 41

Incident

Correctional Officer Robert McCarthy was stabbed and killed while working at the Central Correctional Training Facility in Soledad. Officer McCarthy was mortally wounded at 11:10 pm during the nightly head count in X wing. He was stabbed in the neck when a rape convict called him to a cell under the pretext of mailing a letter. The convict was also awaiting trial on charges of assaulting a guard in December, 1970. On August 21, 1971, he was involved in a riot at San Quentin Prison that resulted in the murders of three correctional officers, Officer Paul Krasenes, Officer Jere Graham, and Officer Frank Deleon. He was one of six convicts charged with their murders. They became known as the "San Quentin Six" and their 16 month trial was the longest and most expensive in California's history. Officer McCarthy's killer was sentenced to life and has been denied parole nine times. He was stabbed to death during a prison riot at Folsom Penitentiary on August 12, 2015.

Survivors

Officer McCarthy had been employed at Soledad since November 1966 and was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
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August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Correctional Officer McCarthy gave the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer McCarthy.

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

Agency

Department California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Type Corrections
Location Sacramento, CA
Platform Identity cdcrcorr.sacramento.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 4, 1971
Tour of Duty 4 yrs 4 mo
Age 43
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Edged weapon

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Robert is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

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Compare against
I

Time

In 1971, 168 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 18th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Robert was 43. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Robert had served 4.3 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

March holds 7.5% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was edged weapon, in 2.2% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has 42 officers remembered here, Robert among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Correctional Officer Robert J. McCarthy

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation · End of Watch March 4, 1971

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 52-E

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