In the autumn of 1974, the life of 35-year-old Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Charles Eugene 'Charley' Campbell was tragically cut short in a series of events that began with a routine traffic stop. On November 16, 1974, while on patrol in Perry, Florida, Trooper Campbell was abducted by an escaped fugitive. This individual would later be identified as Paul John Knowles, a man responsible for a string of at least 18 murders.
Following the abduction, Knowles used Trooper Campbell's patrol
car and its siren to pull over another motorist, subsequently taking that individual's car. The harrowing ordeal came to a grim conclusion when Trooper Campbell's body was discovered in Pulaski County, Georgia. He had been tied up and shot to death, and was found alongside another kidnapped victim.
The manhunt for the suspect, Paul John Knowles, ended with his apprehension. However, justice in a courtroom would never be served. While being arrested, Knowles attempted to gain control of an officer's weapon and was subsequently shot and killed by a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent. At the time of his death, Trooper Campbell had served with the Florida Highway Patrol for nine years and was survived by his wife and son.
