In the tumultuous and violent days of the Attica Prison riot in September 1971, among the lives tragically cut short was that of Elon Werner, a civilian employee at the facility. He was the uncle of Correctional Officer Ronald D. Werner, who also perished as a result of the uprising. The events unfolded in Attica, New York, creating a dark chapter in the state's history.
The riot, which began on September 9, 1971, was a chaotic and brutal confrontation between inmates and authorities.
During this period of intense conflict, both Elon Werner and his nephew were caught in the violence that engulfed the prison. While specific details of the circumstances leading to Elon Werner's death as a civilian employee are not extensively documented in available sources, his passing was a direct result of the inmate takeover and the subsequent violent clashes.
His nephew, Ronald D. Werner, a six-year veteran of the New York State Department of Correctional Services and a U.S. Air Force veteran, was shot on September 9th and succumbed to his injuries on September 13, 1971. In the aftermath of the riot, which saw numerous deaths of both hostages and inmates, the path to justice was complicated. The leader of the riot was reportedly never charged in connection with the death of Officer Werner, a fact that underscores the complex and often unresolved nature of the legal proceedings that followed the deadly event.
