On the cold evening of January 3, 1997, James Halverson, a 30-year-old male and a second-year FDNY firefighter, went for his daily run on the track at Centereach High School in Centereach, New York, accompanied by his dog. This routine jog turned tragic in a sudden and senseless act of violence that ended his life. As he made his way around the track, he was approached by two young men, William Sodders, 21, and Eric Calvin, who were loitering nearby.
Sodders, feigning to tie his shoe, waited for Halverson to get close before he stood up, pulled out a stolen 9mm handgun, and shot the unsuspecting firefighter twice, once in the chest and once in the leg. Sodders then turned the gun on Halverson's dog, killing it as well before fleeing the scene with Calvin in a getaway car driven by a third individual.
Concerned when her husband did not return home, Halverson's pregnant wife, Rosalie, went to the high school to look for him. There, she made the devastating discovery of her husband's body lying on the track. At the time of his death, James Halverson was a loving husband and father to a four-year-old daughter, with twin girls on the way. His wife would give birth to their twin daughters just a month after his murder.
The break in the case came when William Sodders' own father, horrified by his son's actions and fearing he might kill again, turned him into the police. The investigation revealed that the murder was a thrill killing, with no prior connection between the perpetrators and the victim. Sodders and Calvin were reportedly obsessed with the movie 'Natural Born Killers' and sought to emulate the violence depicted in the film.
Following their arrests, William Sodders was charged with second-degree murder. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Eric Calvin, the accomplice, was convicted of criminal facilitation and hindering prosecution. The third individual in the getaway car was not charged. The senseless nature of the crime, taking the life of a dedicated firefighter and family man, left the community and his loved ones devastated.
