Back

Gregory Powell (murderer)

Gregory Ulas Powell
Powell in a 1963 police mugshot
Born(1933-08-02)August 2, 1933
Michigan, U.S.
DiedAugust 12, 2012(2012-08-12) (aged 79)
Vacaville, California, U.S.
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment

Gregory Ulas "Greg" Powell[1][2] (August 2, 1933[1][2] – August 12, 2012)[3] was an American criminal who kidnapped Los Angeles Police Department Officers Ian Campbell and Karl Hettinger on the night of March 9, 1963.[4] Assisted by accomplice Jimmy Lee "Youngblood" Smith, Powell took the officers to an onion field near Bakersfield, California, where Officer Campbell was fatally shot.[5]

Infamously known as the "Onion Field" Killer, Powell's story was depicted in Joseph Wambaugh's 1973 non-fiction book, The Onion Field.[6] The book was later made into a 1979 film adaptation of the same name in which Powell was portrayed by James Woods.[7][8][9][10]

  1. ^ a b Woo, Elaine (August 14, 2012). "Gregory Powell, 'Onion Field' Killer, Dies at 79". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Woo, Elaine (August 14, 2012). "Gregory Powell, 'Onion Field' Killer, Dies at 79". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  3. ^ "This Week's Passages". The Seattle Times. August 18, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  4. ^ Waldie, D. J. (March 11, 2013). "The Onion Field at 50: 'This Is About the Tragedy of Police Work'". Burbank, CA: KCET-TV. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  5. ^ Nash, Jay Robert (2004). The Great Pictorial History of World Crime, Volume 2. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9781461712152 – via Google Books. page 747
  6. ^ "Gregory Powell: 'Onion Field' Killer, 79". Philly.com. Associated Press. August 17, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  7. ^ James, Bill (2012). Popular Crime: Reflections on the Celebration of Violence. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781416552741 – via Google Books. page 222
  8. ^ Angeli, Michael (April 12, 1991). "James Woods Reveals His Softer Side". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  9. ^ Whitcomb, Dan (August 13, 2012). "'Onion Field' Killer Dies in California Prison at 79". Reuters. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  10. ^ "'Onion Field' Cop-Killer". Lodi News-Sentinel. April 13, 1989. p. 3. Retrieved November 29, 2015 – via Google News.

Developed by StudentB