Mississippi Department of Corrections, Mississippi
End of Watch Tuesday, September 12, 1972
Add to My HeroesJames Amos Meeks
Sergeant James Meeks was shot and killed by an inmate at the Mississippi State Penitentiary.
The inmate had been assigned to a work detail at Sergeant Meeks' home, which was located inside the prison complex. The inmate had entered the home and locked Sergeant Meeks' wife and her two small children in a closet. When Sergeant Meeks arrived home at the end of his shift, the inmate attacked him, gained control of his service revolver, and shot him. His wife managed to kick the door open, saw he husband on the floor and called for an ambulance. She then found herself face to face with her husband's killer. He tied her up, threw her on her bed, and raped her. When he heard the ambulance he fled. He was apprehended a short time later by a state trooper and a correctional officer.
The inmate, 23, who was serving a life sentence for the brickbat murder of a Chinese merchant in 1969, was convicted of first-degree murder and received another life sentence on March 1st, 1973. He was released in 2003.
Sergeant Meeks was a United States Marine Corps veteran who served with the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He was survived by his wife and six children.
Bio
- Age 42
- Tour Not available
- Badge Not available
- Military Veteran
Incident Details
- Cause Gunfire
- Weapon Officer's handgun
- Offender Released in 2003
Most Recent Reflection
View all 13 Reflectionsthis was my father whom i loved with all my heart . i live with the pain of losing him everyday.
kimberly meeks
daughter
May 3, 2023
Recent LODD Deaths
Deputy Sheriff Lex Allen Love
Wise County Sheriff's Office, TX
EOW: October 2, 2024
Deputy Constable Ruben Garcia
Cameron County Constable's Office - Precinct 1, TX
EOW: September 30, 2024
Trooper Kevin Alexis Ramirez-Vasquez
Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol, TX
EOW: September 28, 2024
Constable Shane R. Eyre
Vienna Town Constable's Office, NY
EOW: September 1, 2024
Deputy Sheriff Cailee Campbell
Oswego County Sheriff's Office, NY
EOW: September 25, 2024
Police Officer David Lee
St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, MO
EOW: September 22, 2024
Deputy Sheriff Joshua C. Phipps
Russell County Sheriff's Office, KY
EOW: September 16, 2024
Motor Carrier Officer Daniel Kerstetter
Michigan State Police, MI
EOW: September 15, 2024
Trooper Enrique Delgado-Garcia
Massachusetts State Police, MA
EOW: September 13, 2024