Passaic Police Department, New Jersey
End of Watch: Thursday, May 8, 1958
Age: 27
Tour of Duty: 5 months
Badge Number: 100
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: May 8, 1958
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Patrolman Robert Strone was shot and killed while on foot patrol on 4th Street, between Monroe Street and Hudson Street, shortly before midnight.
Officers began searching for him at 12:15 am when he failed to check in and found his body at approximately 2:00 am. He had been shot in the back and neck with his own service weapon.
Four nights later an off-duty officer at a local bar overheard two brothers bragging to others about murdering Patrolman Strone. They said they killed Patrolman Strone when he stopped them shortly after they had burglarized a candy store. The off-duty officer had both men arrested and they confessed to the murder. On March 1st, 1959, both, brothers, and ex-convicts, 37 and 42, were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. On December !6, 1960, they were convicted of the burglary that led to Patrolman Strone's murder and received an additional 2 to 3 years in prison. On August 3, 1973, one escaped from a prison work farm in Trenton. He was captured in Morgan City, Louisiana, on December 13, 1973.
Patrolman Strone had served with the Passaic Police Department for only five months. He was survived by his wife and two infant daughters.