On a cold December day in 1980, Robert Van Hall, a 35-year-old male investigator with the New York State Police, was killed in the line of duty. The events leading to his death unfolded in Corning, New York, where he and his partner were conducting an operation to arrest two brothers involved in drug trafficking.
As a member of the Troop E Narco Squad, Investigator Van Hall was in an unmarked patrol car with his partner, Investigator William Gorenflo, preparing to apprehend Joseph and
Larry Comfort for the trafficking of cocaine and marijuana. During the attempt to make the arrest on East Market Street, the situation turned violent when the suspects opened fire with a shotgun. Investigator Van Hall was struck by the gunfire and fatally wounded while seated in the passenger side of the vehicle. His partner, Investigator Gorenflo, was also seriously injured in the attack.
Following the shooting, both Joseph and Larry Comfort were taken into custody and faced legal proceedings for their roles in the deadly encounter. Joseph Comfort was convicted of murder and received a sentence of life in prison. Larry Comfort was also initially found guilty of second-degree murder; however, his conviction was later overturned in 1985. A judge determined that the fatal shot had been fired by his older brother, Joseph. Consequently, Larry Comfort was resentenced for drug convictions and served a lengthy prison term before being paroled in 2013. Joseph Comfort, the man responsible for Investigator Van Hall's death, remained incarcerated and died in prison on January 16, 2019. A Vietnam War veteran, Investigator Van Hall left behind a wife and a 14-year-old daughter.
