On a spring afternoon, David Bruce Ladner, a 33-year-old male Mississippi Highway Patrol Trooper, was patrolling Interstate 10 in Harrison County on Friday, April 10, 1987. He observed a Lincoln driving erratically and pulled the vehicle over for speeding. The driver was Tracy Alan Hansen, who was accompanied by his girlfriend, Anita Louise Krecic. During the traffic stop, Trooper Ladner requested to search the vehicle.
As the stop progressed, Hansen produced a.
38 caliber handgun and shot Trooper Ladner in the chest, causing him to fall. Hansen then shot him a second time. After the shooting, Hansen stole Ladner's service weapon and patrol car and fled the scene. Despite being mortally wounded, Trooper Ladner managed to flag down a passing motorist who transported him to a local hospital. He succumbed to his injuries two days later, on Sunday, April 12, 1987.
The suspect, Tracy Alan Hansen, who was wanted in Florida, was later apprehended. He was convicted of the murder of Trooper Ladner and sentenced to death. After 15 years on death row, Hansen was executed on July 17, 2002. Before his execution, Hansen admitted his guilt, stating, 'I'm guilty. I shot the guy. I panicked. I was running from the law.' His girlfriend, Anita Louise Krecic, was also convicted for her involvement in the crime and received a life sentence in prison. Trooper Ladner had served with the Mississippi Highway Patrol for nine years and was survived by his wife and three children.
