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Public outrage greeted his parole, which he violated repeatedly. He was again in jail when he died.
Jimmy Lee Smith, one of the notorious "Onion Field" killers whose crime was documented in a best-selling book and a movie, and who spend most of is life in and out of prison on repeated parole violations, has died. He was 76.
Smith died Friday of a heart attack in the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic, where he been detained for yet another parole violation, according to Los Angeles County sheriff's officials.
Smith led a life of petty crime and drug abuse, interrupted by the high-profile murder of Los Angeles Police Officer Ian Campbell in the early '60s.
Joseph Wambaugh's 1973 book, "The Onion Field," chronicled the case and was later made into a movie.
"Great. Wonderful," said former L.A. police chief Daryl Gates when told of Smith's death. Gates had criticized Smith's parole. "He was a hype and murderer and we let him out of prison. He should have gone to his death in the gas chamber" for Campbell's murder.
The crime occurred one night in March 1963.
Campbell and his partner, Officer Karl Hettinger, stopped a car for making an illegal U-turn in Hollywood. Smith, 29, on parole from Folsom prison, and Gregory Powell, 32, were in the vehicle.
Powell disarmed Campbell after pulling a gun on him. Threatening to kill Campbell, he then forced Hettinger to give up his weapon.
Powell and Smith drove the two officers to an onion field in Kern County. Powell killed Campbell with a gunshot to the face. Hettinger began running through the field and escaped as Powell fired at him.
Hettinger said a cloud passing in front of the moon allowed him enough darkness to hide in some bushes. He then ran four miles to a farmhouse, where he called for help.
Powell was captured a couple of hours later, driving back to Los Angeles.(BY the CHP)
Read more at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...home-headlines
Public outrage greeted his parole, which he violated repeatedly. He was again in jail when he died.
Jimmy Lee Smith, one of the notorious "Onion Field" killers whose crime was documented in a best-selling book and a movie, and who spend most of is life in and out of prison on repeated parole violations, has died. He was 76.
Smith died Friday of a heart attack in the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic, where he been detained for yet another parole violation, according to Los Angeles County sheriff's officials.
Smith led a life of petty crime and drug abuse, interrupted by the high-profile murder of Los Angeles Police Officer Ian Campbell in the early '60s.
Joseph Wambaugh's 1973 book, "The Onion Field," chronicled the case and was later made into a movie.
"Great. Wonderful," said former L.A. police chief Daryl Gates when told of Smith's death. Gates had criticized Smith's parole. "He was a hype and murderer and we let him out of prison. He should have gone to his death in the gas chamber" for Campbell's murder.
The crime occurred one night in March 1963.
Campbell and his partner, Officer Karl Hettinger, stopped a car for making an illegal U-turn in Hollywood. Smith, 29, on parole from Folsom prison, and Gregory Powell, 32, were in the vehicle.
Powell disarmed Campbell after pulling a gun on him. Threatening to kill Campbell, he then forced Hettinger to give up his weapon.
Powell and Smith drove the two officers to an onion field in Kern County. Powell killed Campbell with a gunshot to the face. Hettinger began running through the field and escaped as Powell fired at him.
Hettinger said a cloud passing in front of the moon allowed him enough darkness to hide in some bushes. He then ran four miles to a farmhouse, where he called for help.
Powell was captured a couple of hours later, driving back to Los Angeles.(BY the CHP)
Read more at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...home-headlines
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