Corrections Employee Bernard Fancher, Michigan Department of Corrections, Michigan

Corrections Employee Bernard Fancher

Michigan Department of Corrections, Michigan

End of Watch Thursday, April 28, 1960

Bernard Fancher

Corrections Employee Fancher, an assistant athletic director at the State Prison of Southern Michigan, was stabbed to death by a prisoner described as having a long grudge against him. According to witnesses, Fancher was sitting at his desk when a prisoner approached him swinging a baseball bat. Fancher and another employee ran from the office, but Fancher fell over a wheelbarrow. The prisoner immediately fell upon Fancher and stabbed him 13 times.

The prisoner, who was serving a life sentence for murder, was declared insane and sent to the Ionia State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.

Earlier in the year Fancher fired the prisoner from his cleanup job at the gymnasium for being loud and abusive.

Bio

Age Not available
Tour Not available
Badge Not available

Incident Details

Cause Stabbed
Weapon Edged weapon
Offender Committed

Most Recent Reflection

View all 6 Reflections

Dear Daddy,
I was only two years old when you died. But I still think of you over fifty years later. I think of the things Mom told me about you and wish for others to know them, as well as about this horrible incident.
You flew a piper cub airplane you owned .. until it got smashed up by a hail storm. You were apparently good at story telling .. childrens type stories. You had a dog named Lucky. Your parents died when you were an infant as well. You had three sons and one daughter (me). You were stationed at The Panama Canal in the Army Air Corp. You liked elephants.
As for me, I worked in social services for over twenty years. Guess it's in the blood. Enough for now. Know that you are remembered. (Thank you to whoever is providing this page).

Your Daughter
Suzanne

June 29, 2012