Captain Joseph Kruse, Iowa Department of Corrections, Iowa

Captain Joseph Kruse

Iowa Department of Corrections, Iowa

End of Watch Thursday, June 8, 1972

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Joseph Kruse

Captain Joseph Kruse was stabbed to death by an inmate at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison.

Captain Kruse was stabbed in the heart during a scuffle with the inmate in which three other officers were also injured.

The inmate, who had been in prison since 1967, was serving a 16-year sentence for kidnapping a 9-year-old girl and committing lascivious acts with her. He was convicted of second-degree murder for killing Captain Kruse on May 29th, 1973, and had 90 years added to his sentence.

Captain Kruse had served with the Iowa Department of Corrections since January 1955 and was promoted to captain in 1968. He was survived by his wife and five children.

Bio

Age 48
Tour 17 years
Badge Not available

Incident Details

Cause Stabbed
Weapon Edged weapon; Shank
Offender Sentenced to 90 years

correctional Facility, prisoner custody

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Joe trained me, I bid off the shift because his LT was an @$$. There was 3 or 4 of us bid off because of that. Joe was a cool guy, his story's always inspired me. You don't run and leave an officer behind. A week or two later after I bid off Joe was killed. I would have been with him or in the cell.
I don't know if the news paper showed then, but a LT was cut almost to the bone, cheek to cheek one guard was cut across the wrist a fourth guard was bit up and down his arm. Whenever I took an inmate out by force, I always made sure I hit his eyes with mace. I stopped by his funeral home to see him before his funeral. His wife and kids were standing around his casket. That upset me. made me realize not fun and games, life and death.

Thomas Rudd CO111 1976
Worked with Joe on nights at ISP.

June 14, 2025