Gregory Powell (murderer)

Gregory Ulas Powell
Powell in a 1963 police mugshot
Born	(1933-08-02)August 2, 1933 Michigan, U.S.
Died	August 12, 2012(2012-08-12) (aged 79) Vacaville, California, U.S.
Criminal penalty	Life imprisonment

Gregory Ulas Powell^[1][2] (August 2, 1933^[1][2] – August 12, 2012)^[3] 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.^[4] Assisted by accomplice Jimmy Lee Smith, Powell took the officers to an onion field near Bakersfield, California, where Campbell was fatally shot.^[5]

Infamously known as the "Onion Field" Killer, Powell's story was depicted in Joseph Wambaugh's 1973 non-fiction book, The Onion Field.^[6] The book was later adapted into a 1979 film of the same name, in which Powell was portrayed by James Woods.^{[7][8][9][10]}