Info Article:
Honor Norwalk CT Veterans - Cpl. Lloyd W. Knapp
Lloyd was killed while
escorting a prisoner at Camp Hood, Texas.
Roy A. Prentiss from
Winsted, Connecticut, was being escorted by Corporal Knapp when he
took Knapp’s gun, shot him dead, then shot himself in the head but
survived. He was sentenced to death by hanging in a court martial on
July 8, 1943.
On April 5, 1943, Lloyd Knapp was stationed at Camp Hood (now Fort
Hood) in Texas. He lived in Brewster, New York, and was in the Army
at that time. He was an MP at the camp and was in charge of base
security, etc., as all the other MPs were. One night, some sort of
infraction happened there involving Roy A. Prentiss, also in the
Army from Winsted, Connecticut. A security vehicle was called, maybe
to transport Prentiss from wherever he was to the brig. There was an
MP driver, and Lloyd was the MP to take charge of Prentiss. At some
point in the commute, Prentiss struggled with Lloyd in the back of
the vehicle. Prentiss removed Lloyd’s side arm and shot Lloyd point
blank, killing him instantly. Prentiss then instructed the driver to
stop the vehicle. As the vehicle was pulling over, Prentiss pointed
the gun at the driver.. the vehicle stopped, at which point Prentiss
turned the gun on himself, shooting himself in the head. He remained
in a coma at the base hospital for several weeks, and when he
regained consciousness, he was charged with murder. It was also
learned at that time that the bullet had blinded him. Sometime
later, a court martial was convened, and based on the testimony of
the driver, Prentiss was found guilty and scheduled to be executed.
President Roosevelt has commuted to life
imprisonment the death sentence of Private Roy A Prentiss.
Roy Prentiss died in 1979
Story: Jeffrey DeWitt
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