Tommy Mellie Starnes
Incident
Corrections Officer Tommy Starnes served at the the Ferguson State Prison Farm near Midway in Madison County. He was on-duty at the state ferry which crossed the Trinity River between the prisons at Eastham and Ferguson. He went into the shack and placed his shotgun loaded with buckshot on the table. The shotgun fell off of the table and discharged. Fifteen buckshot struck Starnes, passing through his body. He died before aid could arrive from camp headquarters.
Starnes was survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Starnes of Midway; three brothers, Herman, Clyde and Bud; and three sisters, all of Midway. He was buried in the Harmony Cemetery in Huntsville, Walker County.
Survivors
Starnes was survived by his parents, Mr.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
neuraspine_01krbxtq0w22r9mx3xg15nkbnd- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Tommy. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Corrections Officer Starnes served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Thank you for your service to the Huntsville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corrections Officer Starnes.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Accident
Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division has lost 124 officers; 32 of them lost to accidents.
Tommy is one of 657 officers lost to accidents in TX, 27.1% of the 2,422 remembered there.
Tommy is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.
Tommy is one of 10,100 officers lost to accidents worldwide, 29.6% of the 34,117 remembered here.
34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1931, 1 officer at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division was lost to accidents, the 5th heaviest of 28 years on record. The heaviest was 1971, with 2.
In 1931, 6 officers in TX were lost to accidents, the 40th heaviest of 136 years on record. The heaviest was 1994, with 14.
In 1931, 100 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 6th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.
In 1931, 115 officers worldwide were lost to accidents, the 6th heaviest of 200 years on record. The heaviest was 1930, with 131.
Who
Tommy was 24. Of the 32 lost to accidents at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division whose age is recorded, half were between 33.8 and 51.3; the middle age was 43.5.
Tommy was 24. Of the 626 lost to accidents in TX whose age is recorded, half were between 28 and 46; the middle age was 36.
Tommy was 24. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36.
Tommy was 24. Of the 9,451 lost to accidents worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 45; the middle age was 36.
When
June holds 12.5% of these deaths at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division; January holds the most, 12.5%. Thursdays: 25%.
June holds 8.1% of these deaths in TX; December holds the most, 11.7%. Thursdays: 11.3%.
June holds 7.9% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Thursdays: 14%.
June holds 7.9% of these deaths worldwide; August holds the most, 9.3%. Thursdays: 14.2%.
How
Accident deaths account for 25.8% of all 124 deaths at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 27.1% of all 2,422 deaths in TX, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 29.6% of all 34,117 deaths worldwide, the 2nd most common cause.
His people
Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division has at least 120 officers remembered here, Tommy among them.
-
James Monroe Butler May 25, 1882
-
George W. Taylor Mar 15, 1884
-
Isreal S. Ewan Dec 8, 1887
-
Joe Epperson Apr 29, 1889
-
Benjamin Williamson Jun 30, 1890
-
Jesse F. Goodwin Jul 16, 1890
-
James Jackson Dec 15, 1890
-
C. B. Foster
Dec 4, 1894
-
H. D. Parsons Jul 26, 1898
-
Frank Miller Oct 7, 1899
-
Joseph F. Wilkerson Apr 23, 1906
-
James Elliot Jul 17, 1908
-
John L. Wylie Apr 22, 1909
-
Charles E. Claiborne Aug 9, 1915
-
Walter Isaac Vandorn Aug 12, 1916
-
Dewitt Frisby Oliver Sep 17, 1921
-
Early A. Lott Mar 25, 1926
-
William M. Rader
Jul 22, 1926
-
Deb Edward Long
Feb 2, 1928
-
Henry Ward
Jul 27, 1928
-
Sidney Albert Syms
Sep 29, 1928
-
Tommy Mellie Starnes Jun 11, 1931
-
James B. Sneed Jul 6, 1931
-
John R. Hinson
Nov 3, 1932
-
J R McCall Aug 27, 1933
-
Major Joe Crowson
Jan 27, 1934
-
Virgil Welch
May 10, 1935
-
Felix Smith Jun 19, 1936
-
George Washington Shiflett
Dec 8, 1936
-
John Cleophus Ford
Oct 4, 1937
-
John R. Greer Aug 27, 1938
-
George T. Preston
Jun 20, 1944
-
Benjamin Franklin LaRue
Nov 23, 1946
-
Guy Holman, Sr. Jun 29, 1947
-
Charles Jesse Baker Jul 21, 1959
-
Bobbie B. Bullard
Jun 6, 1963
-
George Alan May
Sep 17, 1971
-
Robert Alexander Arrington Sep 17, 1971
-
Nolan Buckhanan
Jun 14, 1972
-
Edward Carter May 31, 1976
-
John B. Brown Jul 18, 1977
-
Cephus D. Burson Oct 1, 1980
-
Wallace Milton Pack
Apr 4, 1981
-
Billy M. Moore
Apr 4, 1981
-
Dalton B. Cawthray Jan 5, 1984
-
Robert A. Hunt Jun 6, 1984
-
Minnie R. Houston
Jun 3, 1985
-
Joe F. Gurney
Aug 12, 1988
-
Sidney L. Lyons
Nov 19, 1989
-
Stephen Glenn Stewart
Jan 7, 1994
-
Timothy Parsley
Oct 1, 1996
-
James Dimanoff Oct 14, 1997
-
Bill C. Himstedt
Aug 7, 1998
-
Francisco F. Garza
May 31, 1999
-
Wilmot A. Burnett
Dec 16, 1999
-
Daniel James Nagle
Dec 17, 1999
-
Stanley A. Wiley
Jan 29, 2003
-
John Murphy Bennett
Jul 17, 2003
-
Susan Louise Canfield
Sep 24, 2007
-
Barbara Leggett Shumate
Jun 13, 2008
-
Kellie Pena
Sep 3, 2010
-
Craig Allan Orrell May 12, 2011
-
Christopher A. Davis
Jan 14, 2015
-
Eligio Ruiz Garcia, Jr.
Jan 14, 2015
-
Timothy A. Davison
Jul 15, 2015
-
Mari Anne Johnson
Jul 16, 2016
-
Shana Renee Tedder
Jun 9, 2017
-
Kelvin D. Wilcher
Apr 6, 2020
-
Jonathon Keith Goodman, Sr.
Apr 21, 2020
-
Coy Dale Coffman, Jr.
Apr 26, 2020
-
James David Coleman
Apr 28, 2020
-
Jesse Wayne Bolton
May 8, 2020
-
Maria Luisa Mendez
May 9, 2020
-
Thomas Adedayo Ogungbire
Jun 11, 2020
-
Kenneth Wayne Harbin
Jul 4, 2020
-
Jerry Esparza
Jul 15, 2020
-
Jackson M. Pongay
Jul 19, 2020
-
Ruben Martinez
Jul 23, 2020
-
Eric Trivonte Johnson
Jul 27, 2020
-
Lebouath A. Boua
Aug 12, 2020
-
Elizabeth A. Jones
Aug 15, 2020
-
Herbert James Garcia
Aug 17, 2020
-
James Willard Weston, Jr.
Aug 26, 2020
-
Donald Eugene Parker
Oct 1, 2020
-
Rodrick L. Rodgers
Nov 11, 2020
-
Timothy Lee Beggs
Dec 9, 2020
-
Harold Paul Smith, Jr.
Dec 15, 2020
-
Phillip D. Holbert
Dec 27, 2020
-
Joe Charlie Landin
Dec 28, 2020
-
Randall Lewis Sims
Jan 3, 2021
-
Treva T. Preston
Jan 15, 2021
-
Alfred Jimenez, Jr.
Jan 15, 2021
-
Maria Garcia
Jan 22, 2021
-
Vickie V. James
Feb 10, 2021
-
Taiwo Caroline Obele
Feb 16, 2021
-
Tracey Annette Adams
Mar 6, 2021
-
Luis Arturo Hernandez, Sr.
Mar 31, 2021
-
Jimmy Garcia
Apr 15, 2021
-
Daniel Joseph Giorgi
Jul 25, 2021
-
Joe Martin Olivares
Aug 18, 2021
-
Lakeisha Monique Brantley
Aug 31, 2021
-
Honorato Antones
Sep 3, 2021
-
Glenn R. Skeens, Jr.
Sep 7, 2021
-
Codie Whitley-Turner
Sep 9, 2021
-
Echo Rodriguez
Sep 12, 2021
-
Shad Eugene Hammond
Sep 13, 2021
-
Jose Angel Hernandez
Sep 13, 2021
-
Christopher Damon Watson, Sr.
Sep 15, 2021
-
Cleadas Gilberto Sherman
Sep 22, 2021
-
Charles Ronald Hughes
Sep 25, 2021
-
Connell Foreman
Sep 25, 2021
-
Melissa Ruth Maldonado
Oct 3, 2021
-
Thomas Scott Collora
Oct 5, 2021
-
Garland Chaney
Oct 5, 2021
-
Kevin Dupree
Nov 2, 2021
-
Mark Allen Loecken
Jan 10, 2022
-
Darrell Avery
Feb 6, 2022
-
John Baron Broadaway
Feb 8, 2022
-
Kay W. Zeger, Jr.
Feb 13, 2022
-
Jose Ruiz
Mar 1, 2022
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 47-E
Others Who Wore This Badge
123 officers from Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.















