National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

Officer Rank: Corrections Employee

Memorial Panel: 4-W: 14

Department: Michigan Department of Corrections

End of Watch: April 28, 1960

Cause: NIFE

Age: 40

Years of Service: Unk

Description: Bernard Fancher, an assistant athletic director at the State Prison of Southern Michigan, was stabbed to death by a prisoner who was described as having a long grudge against him. According to witnesses, Mr. Fancher was sitting at his desk when a prisoner approached him swinging a baseball bat. Mr. Fancher and another employee ran from the office, but Mr. Fancher fell over a wheelbarrow. The prisoner immediately fell upon Mr. Fancher and stabbed him 13 times. Bernard Fancher was pronounced dead at the scene. Earlier in the year he had fired the prisoner from his cleanup job at the gymnasium for being loud and abusive.