Correctional Officer Merle E. Clutts
United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons
U.S. Government
End of Watch: Saturday, October 22, 1983

Biographical Info
Age: 51
Tour of Duty: 19 years
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Stabbed
Date of Incident: Saturday, October 22, 1983
Incident Location: Illinois
Weapon Used: Edged weapon; Shank
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life

Correctional Officer Merle Clutts was killed when he was stabbed by an inmate with a homemade prison shank at the Federal prison in Marion, Illinois. The suspect was being escorted back to his cell after having a shower when another inmate slipped him a shank. The suspect then ran down the tier and attacked Correctional Officer Clutts who he had a vendetta against. By the time the officers got the suspect off Correctional Officer Clutts and him to safety he had been stabbed 40 times. The suspect was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Just eight hours later Correctional Officer Robert Hoffmann would be murdered in the same prison in an unrelated incident.

Correctional Officer Clutts had served with the Federal Bureau of Prisons for 19 years.