Northern Pacific Railroad Police Department, Railroad Police
End of Watch: Friday, July 11, 1930
Age: 39
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Assault
Date of Incident: July 11, 1930
Weapon Used: Blunt object
Suspect Info: Convicted of manslaughter
Special Agent John True was killed when he interrupted three men who were breaking into a railroad storage shed in search of tools to free their car, which had become stuck in the mud near South and 2nd Street. The men then dragged his body underneath a nearby bridge at the foot of Pacific Avenue and fled on foot, leaving the car.
The license plate number on the car led police to a residence where two suspects, 17 and 19, were apprehended. The third suspect was apprehended four days later in San Francisco. Two of them were charged with murder, and the third was charged as an accessory to murder.
The suspects admitted they resisted arrest and said that Agent True fell and hit his head on something hard. The investigating detective introduced evidence that he was hit on the head with something hard that caused his death. Both suspects were convicted of manslaughter. One was sentenced to 2.5 to 5 years and the other to 5 to 10 years. Charges were dismissed against the third suspect. He was tried in a different court on an unrelated case of several robberies in Kitsap County and sentenced to 10 to 30 years.
Agent True was survived by his wife, brother, and sister.