McLean, VA (November 12, 2024) - There are 487 female officers honored on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. One of the first to make the ultimate sacrifice was Mary T. Davis, 67, a police matron with the Wilmington (DE) Police Department. Matron Davis joined the department in 1910, after her four kids were fully grown and several years after her husband was killed in an accident. On May 11, 1924, after she discovered water coming out of a jail cell, Matron Davis went in to investigate. The female inmate had caused the problem by ripping apart the water pipe that led to the sink. When Matron Davis entered, she was beaten to death by the inmate, who then escaped. After a few days, the prisoner was recaptured and soon convicted of murdering Matron Davis. The cold-blooded killer served only 10 years for the crime before being released. The funeral procession for Matron Davis was the largest in the history of Wilmington, Delaware. Listen to the podcast to learn more.
"Heroes Live Forever" - the story of Wilmington (DE) Police Matron Mary T. Davis