David Robert DeLitta, a 38-year-old Caucasian male, was tragically killed on October 27, 1988, in Houston, Texas. DeLitta, who served as a Special Agent for the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Criminal Investigations Division, was shot and killed during a robbery. On the evening of the incident, DeLitta and a co-worker had just served a subpoena and were meeting other agents for dinner at a restaurant on Gulf Freeway.
As they approached the restaurant, an armed suspect confronted them and demanded they place their wallets on the hood of their car. In an attempt to retrieve his duty weapon from his ankle holster, DeLitta was shot by the suspect. The final shot penetrated his arm and entered his abdomen. Despite being transported to a local hospital and undergoing approximately 30 hours of surgery, DeLitta succumbed to his injuries the following day.
The suspect fled the scene but turned himself in through a local television station one month later. He was subsequently convicted of state charges of capital murder and federal charges of murdering a federal agent. The suspect was sentenced to death but died in prison while on death row. Notably, the gun used to murder DeLitta was involved in another murder after the suspect had been taken into custody.
DeLitta had a distinguished career in law enforcement, having served for 16 years. He was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War and had worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, the Greeley Police Department, and as an undercover special agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration. At the time of his death, he had been with the EPA for only four months. DeLitta is survived by his wife, son, daughter, parents, brother, and sister.
