Camden County Prosecutor's Office, New Jersey
End of Watch Thursday, April 20, 1995
Add to My HeroesJohn D. McLaughlin
Investigator John McLaughlin and Patrolman John Norcross, of the Haddon Heights Police Department, were shot and killed while trying to serve a search warrant on a suspect being investigated for child abuse. The 38-year-old suspect had gone through a sex-change operation three years earlier to become a female.
After the officers entered the house, at 1231 Sylvan Drive, the suspect opened fire, killing Investigator McLaughlin and wounding Patrolman Richard Norcross. Patrolman John Norcross, the brother of the wounded officer, responded to the shots fired call and was shot and killed after arriving on the scene.
The suspect was found guilty of both murders and received a life sentence and a death sentence. The New Jersey Supreme Court overturned the death sentence after two separate penalty phases of the trial. The suspect was sentenced to death after a third trial but the sentence was eventually reduced to life in prison. She will be eligible for parole on February 24, 2048.
Investigator McLaughlin had recently retired from the USAF Security Police and served with the Camden County Prosecutor's Office for two months. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Bio
- Age Not available
- Tour 2 months
- Badge 188
- Military Veteran
Incident Details
- Cause Gunfire
- Weapon Rifle; Semi-automatic
- Offender Sentenced to life
Most Recent Reflection
View all 35 ReflectionsI love law enforcement but mostly hhpd njsp 188 gone but not forgoten
philip isenberg
September 29, 2022
Recent LODD Deaths

Police Officer Gonzalo Carrasco, Jr.
Selma Police Department, CA
EOW: January 31, 2023

Master Patrol Officer Clarence "CJ" Williams
Cairo Police Department, GA
EOW: January 28, 2023

Supervisory Officer Jacqueline Montanaro
United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations, US
EOW: January 14, 2023

Police Officer Carl Douglas Kimball
St. Francisville Police Department, LA
EOW: January 12, 2023

Deputy Sheriff Darnell Calhoun
Riverside County Sheriff's Department, CA
EOW: January 13, 2023

Court Services Officer Curtis Matthew Worland
Alaska State Troopers, AK
EOW: December 13, 2022

Chief of Police Justin McIntire
Brackenridge Borough Police Department, PA
EOW: January 2, 2023

Deputy Sheriff Isaiah Cordero
Riverside County Sheriff's Department, CA
EOW: December 29, 2022

Corporal Ray Charles Hamilton
Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: December 24, 2022