McLean, VA (February 4, 2025) - On March 9, 1963, two Los Angeles police officers, Karl Hettinger and Ian Campbell, pulled a vehicle over for making an illegal U-turn. Unbeknownst to them, the two individuals in the vehicle were two psychopaths and life-long criminals by the names of Gregory Powell and Jimmy Lee Smith. With the element of surprise on their side, one of the thugs pulled a gun on Officer Campbell. He calmly told his partner, “He has a gun in my back. Give him your gun.” Officer Hettinger reluctantly did as his partner requested. The two officers were then driven some 30 miles to the onion field in Bakersfield, California. Both officers were ordered out of the car, and Officer Campbell was shot five times and killed. Officer Hettinger somehow managed to make a miraculous escape, running nearly four miles to a farm house, where he called for help. The two killers were soon arrested and sentenced to death, though their sentences were later commuted to life in prison. Officer Hettinger suffered from a terrible case of survivor’s guilt after his partner’s murder. To make matters worse, he was publicly blamed for his partner’s death because he had given up his weapon. Karl Hettinger died a broken man at the age of 59 in 1994. Listen to the podcast to learn more about this tragic story.
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