Warden Patrick N. Curran

Patrick N. Curran

Warden Patrick Curran and Deputy Warden Robert Fromhold were stabbed to death by two members of a religious group that was upset with prison restrictions at Holmesburg Prison. The two had planned in detail the murder of Deputy Warden Fromhold for his refusal to grant more meeting time to the group in the prison gym.

The suspects created a fake pass which they gave to a rookie guard who was filling in for a regular guard at the prison. The pass indicated they were allowed to see Deputy Warden Fromhold. When they entered his office the two closed the door and attacked him as he sat at his desk, stabbing him several times. Warden Curran and another officer heard the commotion from across the hall and went to assist Deputy Warden Fromhold. Warden Curran was stabbed in the back by one of the inmates in the rescue attempt. Deputy Warden Fromhold succumbed to his wounds at the scene and Warden Curran succumbed to his wounds en route to a local hospital.

One of the two suspects was in prison for the murder of Philadelphia Police Officer Joseph Kelly on February 21, 1971. The other was in prison for the murder of Sergeant Frank R. Von Colln of Fairmount Park Police on August 29, 1970. After the murders of Deputy Warden Fromhold and Warden Curran both suspects were sentenced to life in prison. As of June 20, 2020, they were in prison.

In 1995 a new prison facility was named the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in honor of Warden Curran and Deputy Warden Fromhold.