Benjamin Franklin LaRue
Agency patch
Guard

Benjamin Franklin LaRue

Felonious
End of Watch November 23, 1946
Age 55
Tour of Duty 7 yrs
The Vigil Panel 184 ›
Gender Male

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

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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.
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

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

Service Record

End of Watch November 23, 1946
Tour of Duty 7 yrs
Age 55
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Assault
Weapon Blunt object; Hammer

The Sacrifice · Felonious

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

34,117 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 1946, 91 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 62nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Benjamin was 55. 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. Benjamin had served 7 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

November holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Saturdays: 16.3%.

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 blunt object; hammer, in 0% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

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

Across the years
VI

Where

Guard Benjamin Franklin LaRue

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division · End of Watch November 23, 1946

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 12-E

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