In the late hours of July 31, 1901, a male New Haven police officer, Hugh McKeon, aged 40, met a violent and untimely end. A veteran of the force for fifteen years, Officer McKeon was a respected and popular figure among his colleagues. That fateful night, he and his partner, Officer Turbett, embarked on what would be their final patrol together, a raid on a suspected house of ill repute located at 12 Prindle Alley, a place with a notorious reputation that had been the subject of several prior
police actions.
Shortly after midnight, the two officers arrived at the establishment and, upon identifying themselves, were denied entry. Undeterred, they forced the door to gain access. As they crossed the threshold, they were met with immediate gunfire. The proprietor of the house, a man identified as Andrea Laudano, also known as Andrew Laudano, discharged his weapon, striking Officer McKeon. The force of the shot sent the officer tumbling down the steps to the sidewalk below, where he succumbed to his injuries within minutes. In the ensuing chaos, Laudano also attacked Officer Turbett, striking him over the eye with the butt of his revolver, causing a significant and painful wound.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, there were conflicting accounts of the suspect's escape. One report indicated that Laudano fled through a rear exit, prompting a city-wide manhunt with every available officer and detective joining the search to guard all avenues of escape. Another account suggests that he was apprehended at the train station shortly after the incident, while a separate report credits Officer Christopher Ledwith with his arrest for the murder. Regardless of the exact circumstances of his capture, the 34-year-old Andrea Laudano was taken into custody and held responsible for the death of Officer McKeon.
The judicial process that followed found Laudano guilty of murder. On November 21, 1901, he was sentenced to death for his crime. However, this sentence was later commuted to life in prison on April 22, 1902. Andrea Laudano would spend the remainder of his days behind bars, ultimately dying in prison on December 17, 1908. The loss of Officer Hugh McKeon was deeply felt, leaving behind a wife and three small children to grapple with the sudden and tragic void in their lives. His burial took place at St. Lawrence Cemetery, a final resting place for a dedicated officer who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
