Edwin James Masterton (1915-1964)
Prison Guard
Edwin James Masterton was initially a bricklayer but became a penitentiary guard in 1959 in Dorchester, New Brunswick. He was killed by an inmate in 1964, suffering multiple stab wounds.
Genealogy
Edwin James Masterton was the fifth of seven children of William Watt Masterton, farmer, and Roberta Burns Millar, descendant of surgeon Robert Masterton who emigrated to Canada from Scotland after 1819, which places him as part of the Masterton group in Dumfriesshire. A fuller genealogy of Edwin James Masterton can be found at this link.
The Officer Down Memorial Page
Correctional Officer Edwin J. Masterton
Correctional Service of Canada
Federal
End of Watch: Wednesday, September 23, 1964
Biographical Info
Age: 49
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Badge Number: Not available
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Stabbed
Date of Incident: Wednesday, September 23, 1964
Incident Location: New Brunswick
Weapon Used: Edged weapon
Suspect Info: Committed suicide
Officer Masterton was stabbed to death in prison's exercise yard at the Maritime Institution, Dorchester Penitentiary, New Brunswick. The suspect stabbed Officer Masterton in revenge for being sentenced for armed robbery and car theft.
The suspect was sentenced to death for Officer Masterton's murder, but the sentence was later commuted to life. The suspect then committed suicide while in prison in 1967.
Officer Masterton had served with the agency for 5 years. He was survived by his wife and two children.
The Officer Down Memorial Page Inc
accessed 22 February 2016
Edwin J Masterton
New Brunswick Peace Officers Memorial
Corrections Canada, Edwin James Masterton
Corrections Canada, Edwin James Masterton, 49
Edwin James Masterton, a guard at the Maritime Penitentiary was stabbed to death in the prison’s exercise yard. Warden Hazen Smith said the incident appeared to be an isolated case with no related commotion or melee and there was no attempt to escape.
Masterton, a Second World War veteran, had been with the federal maximum-security prison since 1959. He died in the penitentiary hospital shortly after the incident. Coroner Dr. J.A. Delany said Masterton was stabbed in the left side of the chest, near the heart.
Warden Smith, a 25-year veteran of the penitentiary service, described the incident as shocking. It is the first time in the history of the prison that an officer had been killed in the line of duty.
Masterton is survived by his wife and two sons, Gerald Robert and Frederick.
New Brunswick Peace Officers Memorial
accessed 22 February 2016
Edwin James Masterton
Correctional Service Canada
Honouring our fallen officers
Edwin James Masterton
Guard
Dorchester Penitentiary
September 23, 1964
Guard Edward [sic] James Masterton was stabbed by an inmate in the yard of the institution during the exercise period at approximately 8:15 p.m. The attack appeared to be a random and senseless act.
The attacker, inmate Reginald Colpitts, was originally sentenced to death, but won an appeal due to a fault in the process of the original trial. He was tried again and sentenced to death a second time. On January 18, 1966, the scheduled date of his execution, the Lester B. Pearson government commuted the death sentence to one of life in prison. This was the 20th such commutation awarded by the Pearson government. Colpitts was then transferred to British Columbia Penitentiary.
In November 1967, Colpitts committed suicide by hanging himself with a bed sheet.
Correctional Service Canada
accessed 16 October 2017
Edwin James Masterton