Susan Louise Canfield
Agency patch
Corrections Officer

Susan Louise Canfield

Felonious
End of Watch September 24, 2007
Age 59
Tour of Duty 7 yrs
Gender Female

Incident

Corrections Officer Susan Canfield was killed during an escape attempt of two inmates from a work crew at the Wynne Unit.

The two inmates were among a group of approximately 75 inmates working outside of the prison and being being supervised by seven officers on horseback. One of the officers observed an inmate with contraband and attempted to take it from him. As he did so, the inmate with the contraband and another inmate pulled the officer from his horse and disarmed him.

Both inmates fled to the adjacent Huntsville City fleet maintenance center on Highway 75 North and stole a flatbed truck. As Officer Canfield approached the truck on horseback the inmate intentionally struck her and the horse, causing her to suffer fatal injuries. Other officers exchanged shots with the two but did not shoot them. Both men were apprehended within two hours.

The subject who was driving the truck that struck Officer Canfield was sentenced to death in 2010. He was executed on December 3rd, 2013. The second inmate faces capital murder charges as of August 2012.

Officer Canfield had served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for seven years.

Survivors

She is survived by her husband, two daughters, son, two grandchildren, mother, and three siblings.

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 Canfield 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, Corrections Officer Canfield.

— 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 September 24, 2007
Tour of Duty 7 yrs
Age 59
Gender Female

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Vehicular assault
Weapon Automobile

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Susan 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 2007, 84 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 77th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Susan was 59. 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. Susan had served 7 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

September holds 9.1% 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 automobile, in 4.9% 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, Susan among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Corrections Officer Susan Louise Canfield

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division · End of Watch September 24, 2007

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 25-W

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