Gregory Powell (murderer)
Gregory Ulas Powell | |
|---|---|
Powell in a 1963 police mugshot | |
| Born | August 2, 1933 Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | August 12, 2012 (aged 79) Vacaville, California, U.S. |
| Criminal status | Deceased |
| Conviction | First degree murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death; commuted to life imprisonment |
| Details | |
| Victims | Ian Campbell, 39 |
| Date | March 9, 1963 |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
Gregory Ulas Powell (August 2, 1933 – August 12, 2012) was an American criminal who kidnapped Karl Hettinger and Ian Campbell, two officers from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), on the night of March 9, 1963. Assisted by accomplice Jimmy Lee Smith, Powell took the officers to an onion field near Bakersfield, California, where Campbell was fatally shot.
Infamously known as the "Onion Field" Killer, Powell's story was depicted in Joseph Wambaugh's 1973 non-fiction book, The Onion Field. The book was later adapted into a 1979 film of the same name, in which Powell was portrayed by James Woods.