El Segundo Police Department, California
End of Watch Monday, July 22, 1957
Add to My HeroesRichard A. Phillips
Police Officer Richard Phillips and Police Officer Milton Curtis were shot and killed after stopping a vehicle for running a red light.
Unbeknownst to the officers, the suspect had just raped a teenage girl after holding two couples at gunpoint. Both officers were shot and killed while they were writing a ticket.
On January 29th, 2003, 45 years after the murders, the 70 year old suspect was arrested at his home in Columbia, South Carolina, as the result of a new FBI fingerprint database. The fingerprints were matched to a 1956 South Carolina burglary and linked to the suspect.
The suspect was convicted of both murders on March 24th, 2003, and sentenced to life in prison. He was denied parole in 2009. He will be eligible for parole again in 2017. So he can be near his near his family, he is serving his sentence in the South Carolina Penitentiary.
Officer Phillips had served with the El Segundo Police Department for two years. He was survived by his wife and three children.
Bio
- Age 28
- Tour 2 years
- Badge 10
Incident Details
- Cause Gunfire
- Weapon Handgun; .22 caliber
- Offender Sentenced to life
Related LODD Deaths
Police Officer Milton G. Curtis
El Segundo Police Department, CA
EOW: July 22, 1957
Most Recent Reflection
View all 56 ReflectionsIt was 62 years ago today that you were ambushed while doing your duty. I was an eight year old at the time, living in this small town. I always remembered the incident and followed it closely, as did my younger brother. I got a call one day from my brother advising me that the "cop killers" were to be on "Cold Case Files". I was glad that the perpetrator was finally going to be punished. It wasn't right that he got to spend his entire life free only to spend his declining years being supported by the taxpayers.
Dennis W. Barrett
Citizen
July 29, 2019
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