New Mexico Corrections Department, New Mexico
End of Watch: Saturday, April 4, 1981
Age: 38
Tour of Duty: 5 months
Badge Number: 458
Cause of Death: Stabbed
Date of Incident: February 26, 1981
Weapon Used: Edged weapon; Shank
Suspect Info: Convicted of murder
Correctional Officer Louis Jewett succumbed to stab wounds sustained 28 days earlier at the New Mexico State Penitentiary when he was attacked while attempting to prevent two inmates from stabbing a third inmate. The third inmate was also stabbed to death during the incident.
Both inmates were convicted of two counts of first-degree murder. One was sentenced to two life terms to run consecutively with another life term he was serving. The other inmate was sentenced to death. In 1986 the New Mexico governor commuted the death sentence to life in prison.
Officer Jewett had served with the New Mexico Corrections Department for only five months. He was survived by his wife, daughter, and two sons.