The Onion Field Incident

Dec 8, 2025

On a fateful night in March 1963, two LAPD officers made a routine traffic stop that spiraled into a shocking kidnapping and murder. After being disarmed, one officer managed to escape while his partner was tragically executed in an onion field. The chilling event not only rattled California but also led to significant changes in police policy across the nation. The episode delves into the lives of the officers, the criminal duo behind the crime, and the lasting effects of toxic masculinity and public perceptions on justice.

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ANECDOTE

The Onion Field Escape

Karl Hedinger escaped into the onion field after Ian Campbell was shot and crawled two miles to a farmhouse for help.
Farmer Emmanuel McFadden and rancher Jack Fry aided Hedinger, who then contacted Kern County deputies at about 1:00 a.m.

INSIGHT

Policy Born From Tragedy

The LAPD's reaction blamed Hedinger for yielding his gun and labeled him a coward despite lacking protocol for such abductions.
The case prompted policy changes forbidding officers from surrendering weapons and spurred wider training for hostage scenarios.

ANECDOTE

Conflicting Accounts And Conviction

Powell and Smith gave competing statements; coroner's evidence showed two weapons fired at Campbell.
The jury convicted both men of first-degree murder and initially sentenced them to death before later commutations.

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On the night of March 9, 1963, officers Karl Hettinger and Ian Campbell made a traffic stop on the corner of Carlos Avenue and Gower Street and Hollywood. Early that day, the officers had been instructed to seek out and bust anyone they suspected of being engaged in gay sexual activity, and that night they were confident they’d found two men that fit the bill. However, after Campbell instructed both men to step out of the car, the driver, Gregory Powell, pulled out a pistol and held it on Campbell, effectively disarming him, while other man, Jimmy Smith, disarmed Hettinger. The two officers were then forced into Powell’s car and driven more than one hundred miles away, where they executed Ian Campbell, while Hettinger escaped into a nearby onion field and managed to find help at the home of a farmer.

The murder of Ian Campbell in the onion field shocked residents of California, not only because it was so cold-blooded, but also because of how the incident unfolded. By yielding to the demands of their hostage taker and handing over his gun, many people felt that Hettinger was at least partially responsible for Campbell’s death. Powell and Smith were quickly captured, tried, and convicted for the murder, but the consequences of that night in the onion field would have a profound and lasting effect on police policy all over the country for years to come.

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References

Associated Press. 1963. "2 policemen are kidnapped; 1 is slain." Sacramento Bee, 03 11: 1.

Los Angeles Times. 1963. "Cold-blooded slaying of detective re-enacted." Los Angeles Times, March 12: 1.

—. 1963. "Officer slain by accident, says former convict." Los Angeles Times, August 21: 27.

—. 1963. "Pair guilty of slaying policeman." Los Angeles Times, September 5: 1.

—. 1963. "Partner of murdered officer tells of ordeal." Los Angeles Times, March 20: 29.

Malnic, Eric. 1994. "Karl Hettinger; survived 1963 'Onion Field' attack." Los Angeles Times, May 5: A32.

The People v. Gregory Ulas Powell and Jimmy Lee Smith. 1967. 7739 (Supreme Court of California, July 18).

Turan, Kenneth. 1979. "The Onion Field caper." Washington Post, October 13.

United Press International. 1963. "2 thugs admit kidnap-killing." New York Times, March 12: 4.

Waldie, D.J. 2013. "The Onion Field at 50: 'This is about the tragedy of police work'." PBS SoCal, March 11.

Wambaugh, Joseph. 1973.

The Onion Field.

New York, NY: Dell Publishing.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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