Infamous Murders: Murdered on Duty
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Throughout history, police officers have been murdered on duty all over the world. Murdering an officer, especially one who is unarmed, is considered particularly brutal and fellow officers will not rest until the killer is apprehended. Infamous Murders examines three modern examples of police officers being murdered on duty.
In September 1993 Katherine Ann Power was charged with the killing of Officer Walter H. Schroeder, a crime that had taken place 23 years earlier when she was a radical student activist at Brandeis University, Boston.
Schroeder was trying to stop Power and her accomplices from escaping after robbing a bank in Massachusetts when he was callously cut down with a sub machine gun. After years as a fugitive, living under an assumed name, Power was overcome by remorse and gave herself up to the police. She served six years of her prison sentence.
When three police officers pulled an old car over for a routine check, they didn't know it would be the last duty they would carry out. On the 12th of August, 1966 Officers David Wombwell, David Head and Gregory Fox were shot and killed in London, England.
Their murderers were Harry Roberts, John Witney and John Duddy, three dangerous criminals who were planning a robbery and looking for a getaway car to replace the old car that they were driving. On 6th December the murderers were each sentenced to thirty years, and their conviction led to discussions on the restoration of the death penalty.
On the 12th of July 1959 Officer Raymond Purdey was shot in the heart at point blank range while attempting to arrest a blackmailer who claimed to have compromising pictures of an American model.
The incident took place in Kensington, London. The killer, Guenther Podola, evaded capture for a time, but the police were determined he wouldn't escape.
When captured, Podola claimed he had lost his memory, but in court the prosecution proved he was a cold-blooded killer, who had tried to shoot his way out of trouble. On 5th November 1959, Podola was sent to the gallows at Wandsworth prison.
In September 1993 Katherine Ann Power was charged with the killing of Officer Walter H. Schroeder, a crime that had taken place 23 years earlier when she was a radical student activist at Brandeis University, Boston.
Schroeder was trying to stop Power and her accomplices from escaping after robbing a bank in Massachusetts when he was callously cut down with a sub machine gun. After years as a fugitive, living under an assumed name, Power was overcome by remorse and gave herself up to the police. She served six years of her prison sentence.
When three police officers pulled an old car over for a routine check, they didn't know it would be the last duty they would carry out. On the 12th of August, 1966 Officers David Wombwell, David Head and Gregory Fox were shot and killed in London, England.
Their murderers were Harry Roberts, John Witney and John Duddy, three dangerous criminals who were planning a robbery and looking for a getaway car to replace the old car that they were driving. On 6th December the murderers were each sentenced to thirty years, and their conviction led to discussions on the restoration of the death penalty.
On the 12th of July 1959 Officer Raymond Purdey was shot in the heart at point blank range while attempting to arrest a blackmailer who claimed to have compromising pictures of an American model.
The incident took place in Kensington, London. The killer, Guenther Podola, evaded capture for a time, but the police were determined he wouldn't escape.
When captured, Podola claimed he had lost his memory, but in court the prosecution proved he was a cold-blooded killer, who had tried to shoot his way out of trouble. On 5th November 1959, Podola was sent to the gallows at Wandsworth prison.
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Infamous Murders: Murder by Decree
Sat 20th Sep, 2PM
