On September 16, 2026, the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation marks the 10th anniversary of the line-of-duty death of Correctional Officer Kenneth Levella Bettis.
Officer Bettis served at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama. His colleagues knew him as a firm but fair officer who was deeply respected for his work ethic and dedication to the correctional profession.
On September 1, 2016, Officer Bettis was working in the facility’s dining hall when an incarcerated individual demanded an additional food tray. After Officer Bettis denied the request, the individual retaliated by attacking and stabbing him with a makeshift weapon.
Officer Bettis was transported to the University of South Alabama Hospital in Mobile, where he fought for his life for 15 days. On September 16, 2016, he succumbed to his injuries with members of his family by his side.
He was only 44 years old.
The individual responsible for the attack, who was already serving a 20-year sentence for first-degree robbery, was charged with Officer Bettis’s murder.
A Life of Service
Officer Bettis had served with the Alabama Department of Corrections since 2009. For seven years, he accepted the daily responsibility and danger of working inside one of the state’s maximum-security correctional facilities.
His commitment to public service extended far beyond the prison walls.
Officer Bettis was also a combat veteran of the Alabama Army National Guard and served on active duty in Iraq. His military honors included the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal and Southwest Asia Service Medal with Bronze Service Star.
Whether wearing his military uniform or his correctional uniform, Kenneth Bettis devoted his life to protecting and serving others.
He was remembered by those who served alongside him as an exemplary noncommissioned officer in the Army and a principled correctional officer. One former colleague recalled that regardless of what happened inside the prison, Officer Bettis returned each day with the same steady attitude and commitment to his responsibilities.
A Husband and Father
Behind the uniforms and honors was a devoted family man.
Officer Bettis was survived by his wife and three children. His death left them to face every birthday, holiday and family milestone without the husband and father who should have been there beside them.
It also deeply affected his extended family, friends and coworkers at Holman. The loss of a correctional officer does not end when the final ceremony concludes. It continues through the lives of the people who loved him and through the officers who return to the same institution carrying the memory of their fallen partner.
A Legacy Carried Forward
Officer Bettis’s coworkers were determined that his name and sacrifice would not be forgotten.
In October 2017, more than 100 family members, friends, correctional officers and state officials gathered to dedicate a section of Alabama Highway 21 as the Alabama Correctional Officer Kenneth L. Bettis Memorial Highway. The designated portion stretches from Interstate 65 to Smithfield Road—the route Officer Bettis traveled to and from his assignment at Holman.
The effort to establish the memorial highway began with his former coworkers, who also helped raise money for the signs. Their commitment spoke powerfully of the respect Officer Bettis earned from those who knew him best.
His name was also added to the Alabama Law Enforcement Memorial in Anniston and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Correctional Peace Officers Foundation further honored Officer Bettis during its national memorial ceremony in San Francisco.
These memorials ensure that future generations will encounter his name. However, his true legacy lives in the family who continues to love him, the officers who remember serving beside him and the principles of fairness, dependability and courage that defined his service.
Ten Years Later
A decade has passed since Officer Bettis gave his life in the line of duty, but the passage of time does not diminish his sacrifice.
His death is a solemn reminder of how quickly a routine decision inside a correctional institution can become a life-or-death encounter. Correctional officers make countless decisions each day to enforce rules, preserve order and protect everyone within their facilities. Officer Bettis was carrying out those responsibilities when he was attacked.
Today, we remember the officer who was firm but fair. We remember the soldier who served his country in Iraq. We remember the husband and father whose family endured an unimaginable loss. We remember the trusted coworker whose partners fought to preserve his name.
Correctional Officer Kenneth Levella Bettis
Alabama Department of Corrections
William C. Holman Correctional Facility
End of Watch: September 16, 2016
Ten years later, his service, courage and sacrifice remain worthy of our deepest gratitude.
We will never forget.