Correctional Officer Hilton Edward Bland

Hilton Edward Bland

Correctional Officer Edward Bland was beaten to death by by an inmate at the Virginia State Penitentiary. The inmate was able to get control of Officer Bland's gas gun and beat him with it.

Officer Bland never regained consciousness before passing away as a result of his injuries three days later.

On January 20, 1967, the inmate, 32, was tried and acquitted. Two inmates testified Officer Bland hit the inmate with a gas gun before he was attacked. The prosecution failed to show what led up to the incident. The inmate was serving a life sentence he was given in 1952 for two counts of robbery and malicious shooting.