In the early morning hours of September 30, 1992, a routine traffic stop on a suburban street near Klamath Falls, Oregon, set in motion a tragic and fatal series of events for Oregon State Police Trooper Bret Robert Clodfelter, a 34-year-old White male from Salem. After arresting the driver of a vehicle for suspected drunk driving, Trooper Clodfelter made a compassionate decision to give the two remaining intoxicated passengers a ride home to ensure their safety.
Among them was Francisco Manzo-Hernandez, a man with a history of assault and drug-related arrests.
After placing the handcuffed driver and the two passengers in the back of his patrol car, Trooper Clodfelter notified dispatch of the arrest and transport. However, this would be his final communication. When dispatchers were unable to re-establish contact, a backup officer was sent to investigate. They discovered Trooper Clodfelter's patrol car approximately four blocks from the initial traffic stop. Inside, Trooper Clodfelter was found in the driver's seat, having been shot multiple times in the head. The three passengers he had taken into his care were gone.
The discovery of the slain trooper, who had served with the Oregon State Police for eight years, launched one of the largest manhunts in the state's recent history. Law enforcement officers from various local and state agencies, many volunteering their own time, joined the intensive search for the killer. Composite sketches of the main suspect, Manzo-Hernandez, were broadcast across television and radio in both English and Spanish, accompanied by the offer of a substantial reward for information leading to his capture.
The widespread effort paid off. On the afternoon of October 2, 1992, a tip led authorities to a barn on the very street where the murder had occurred. As officers surrounded the structure, Manzo-Hernandez attempted to flee by climbing a fence but was quickly apprehended in a nearby field. He was subsequently convicted of the murder of Trooper Bret Clodfelter and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The investigation revealed that Manzo-Hernandez had managed to conceal a handgun during a frisk and used it to commit the murder from the back seat of the patrol car.
