Harold V. Atkinson
Agency patch
Lieutenant

Harold V. Atkinson

Missouri Department of Corrections — Jefferson City, MO
Felonious
End of Watch January 20, 1975
Age 61
Tour of Duty 24 yrs
The Vigil Panel 115 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Lieutenant Harold Atkinson was stabbed to death while assigned to the Missouri State Penitentiary. After he failed to turn in his radio a search was conducted for him. His body was found several hours later underneath a cell bunk with 69 stab wounds. Two inmates were convicted of Lieutenant Atkinson's murder and sentenced to 99 years in prison. Lieutenant Atkinson was a 24-year veteran of the Missouri Department of Corrections.

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

24 years. You could have gone home.
Lieutenant Atkinson gave the Missouri Department of Corrections 24 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the people of Missouri. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Atkinson.

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

Agency

Type Corrections
Location Jefferson City, Cole County, MO
Platform Identity mdcorr.cole.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 20, 1975
Tour of Duty 24 yrs
Age 61
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Edged weapon

The Sacrifice · Felonious

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

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

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Compare against
I

Time

In 1975, 163 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 21st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Harold was 61. 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. Harold had served 24 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

January holds 8% 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

His people

Missouri Department of Corrections has 20 officers remembered here, Harold among them.

VI

Where

Lieutenant Harold V. Atkinson

Missouri Department of Corrections · End of Watch January 20, 1975

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 34-W

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