John C. Walker, a 46-year-old White male, was working as an undercover narcotics officer on November 30, 1979, in Tucson, Arizona. On that Friday, he was involved in an operation targeting a cocaine case. While sitting in his vehicle at Tucson International Airport, he was fatally shot. The incident was a sudden and violent end to his undercover work.
Shortly after the shooting, law enforcement apprehended a suspect, 28-year-old Genaro Celaya.
During the arrest, authorities found Celaya in possession of the "flash roll," which was the money Walker was using for the undercover drug buy. This evidence directly linked Celaya to the confrontation with the officer.
Genaro Celaya was subsequently charged with the murder of Officer John C. Walker. He stood trial and was convicted of the crime. The court imposed a life sentence for the killing. Celaya remained incarcerated for the remainder of his life, ultimately dying of natural causes in an Arizona prison in 2014.
