On July 22, 1957, two police officers, Richard Allen Phillips and Milton Gus Curtis, were fatally shot during a routine traffic stop in El Segundo, California. The officers had pulled over a vehicle for running a red light, unaware that the driver had just committed a series of violent crimes, including the rape of a teenage girl and the armed robbery of two couples. As the officers were writing a ticket, the suspect shot both men, killing them instantly.
The case went cold for nearly 46 years until January 29, 2003, when advances in fingerprint technology led to the arrest of Gerald Mason. Mason's fingerprints matched those found at the 1957 crime scene, and he bore a bullet-shaped scar on his back, consistent with a wound inflicted by Officer Phillips during the confrontation. Mason eventually confessed to the murders and was convicted on March 24, 2003, receiving a life sentence in prison.
Officer Richard Allen Phillips was a 28-year-old white male at the time of his death. He was survived by his wife and three children. His partner, Officer Milton Gus Curtis, was 25 years old and had served with the agency for just two months. Curtis left behind a widow and two young children.
The resolution of this case brought a measure of closure to the families of the fallen officers and highlighted the enduring commitment of law enforcement to solving even the oldest of cases.
