Marta Shanaman
Agency patch
Police Matron

Marta Shanaman

Detroit Police Department — Detroit, MI
Felonious
End of Watch December 12, 1971
Age 54
Tour of Duty 15 yrs 6 mo
The Vigil Panel 109 ›
Gender Female

Incident

Matron Marta Shanaman was shot and killed during an escape attempt at the Detroit Police Department’s women's detention facility. The suspect, a 22-year-old woman, was a visitor, who attempted to liberate a female prison she was visiting, when she shot Matron Shanaman. She was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. As of October 5, 2022, she was still in prison. Matron Shanaman is buried in Lodi Cemetery, Orange Township, Kalkaska County, Michigan.

Survivors

She was survived by her son, two brohers, her sister and a step-sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
NW-AYMM-V227-V earlier record number BO-US-MI-8E119EDC
Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
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.
Police Matron Shanaman gave the Detroit Police Department 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Matron Shanaman.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Detroit, Wayne County, MI
Platform Identity detpd.wayne.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 12, 1971
Tour of Duty 15 yrs 6 mo
Age 54
Gender Female

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Marta is one of 15,741 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.2% of the 27,543 remembered there.

33,910 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
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

Marta was 54. Of the 14,215 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Marta had served 15.5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

December holds 9.4% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Sundays: 15.2%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.2% of all 27,543 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

Her people

Detroit Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Marta among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Matron Marta Shanaman

Detroit Police Department · End of Watch December 12, 1971

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 44-E

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