Summary
Overview
In this gripping episode, Ash and Alaina cover the Onion Field Incident from 1963, a tragic case that forever changed LAPD policy. Two young LAPD officers, Carl Hedinger and Ian Campbell, were kidnapped during a routine traffic stop by career criminals Gregory Powell and Jimmy Lee Smith. The night ended with Officer Campbell's execution in a remote onion field near Bakersfield, while Hedinger narrowly escaped. The aftermath proved devastating not only for the families involved but also for Hedinger, who faced brutal criticism from his department for surrendering his weapon—despite no protocol existing for such situations. The case raises profound questions about split-second decisions, toxic masculinity in law enforcement culture, and the lasting trauma of impossible choices.
Introduction to Carl Hedinger and Ian Campbell
The episode begins by introducing the two LAPD officers at the center of this tragedy. Carl Hedinger, born in 1934, grew up dreaming of becoming a farmer, inspired by his mother's idyllic stories of rural Germany. Ian Campbell was similarly a dreamer who loved zoology and had a romantic view of the world. Both unexpectedly found themselves in law enforcement after military service, and by 1963 they had been partnered together for just nine days when their lives would intersect with tragedy.
- Carl Hedinger was born October 29, 1934 in Los Angeles and dreamed of becoming a farmer
- Carl excelled academically, becoming student body president at Pierce Junior College
- Ian Campbell was a dreamer who loved zoology and would imagine ancient creatures in tar pits
- Both men unexpectedly joined the Marines and later the police force instead of their original career paths
- Carl and Ian were partnered together in the felony car division and became close friends
" I long for that. "
" he was always unrealistic about helping people and always expects more from life than he gets I'm afraid police work will somehow awaken a person like him too harshly "
The Fateful Traffic Stop
On the evening of March 9, 1963, just nine days into their partnership, Hedinger and Campbell were working undercover looking for suspects in crimes against gay men in Los Angeles. They spotted two suspicious-looking men in matching leather jackets driving a 1946 Ford Coupe. What began as a routine traffic stop for a burned-out license plate light quickly escalated when Gregory Powell pulled a gun on the officers, using Campbell as a human shield and forcing Hedinger to surrender his weapon.
- On March 9, 1963, Carl and Ian were working undercover in plain clothes looking for suspects
- They spotted Gregory Powell and Jimmy Lee Smith in a Ford Coupe and noticed a burned-out license plate light
- Powell made an illegal U-turn, giving officers clear cause to pull them over
- When Campbell approached the car, Powell jumped out with a .38 caliber pistol and grabbed Campbell as a shield
- Campbell begged Hedinger multiple times to surrender his weapon to prevent being shot
" I didn't want to give up my weapon but my partner had a gun to his back and asked me to give it up several times "
" we stood at the side of the street with our hands in the air and flashlights in our hands and we stood there for about 15 seconds in silence trying to wave around my arm and draw the attention of someone i saw cars going both directions many of the drivers saw us waving our arms but no one stopped "
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