Minnie R. Houston
Agency patch
Corrections Officer

Minnie R. Houston

Felonious
End of Watch June 3, 1985
Age 41
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
Gender Female

Incident

Corrections Officer Minnie Houston was stabbed to death at the Ellis I unit at 1697 FM 980 in Huntsville. She was supervising seven inmate trustees at the dining hall of the maximum security Ellis I Unit when she was attacked by an inmate with a 15-inch kitchen knife. She attempted to disarm the inmate but was stabbed eight times and killed. The suspect was sentenced to death for Officer Houston's murder but died in prison in 2000. Officer Houston prevented the escape of two death row inmates the previous year as they attempted to jump a prison fence. Officer Houston had served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division for almost 6 years.

Survivors

She was survived by her three sons.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Corrections Officer Houston gave the Texas Department of Criminal Justice 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Huntsville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corrections Officer Houston.

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

Agency

Type Corrections
Location Huntsville, Walker County, TX
Platform Identity tdcjcidcorr.walker.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 3, 1985
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
Age 41
Gender Female

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Edged weapon

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Minnie is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1985, 99 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 52nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Minnie was 41. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Minnie had served 6 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

June holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Mondays: 13.8%.

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

Her people

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division has at least 120 officers remembered here, Minnie among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Corrections Officer Minnie R. Houston

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division · End of Watch June 3, 1985

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 61-W

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