Jimmy Lee Smith

Jimmy Lee Smith, one of the notorious "Onion Field" killers, whose crime was documented in a best-selling book and a movie and who spent most of his life in and out of prison on repeated parole violations, has died. He was 76. Smith died Friday of a heart attack in the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic, where he had been detained for yet another parole violation, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials.

Jimmy Lee Smith, one of the notorious "Onion Field" killers, whose crime was documented in a best-selling book and a movie and who spent most of his life in and out of prison on repeated parole violations, has died. He was 76. Smith died Friday of a heart attack in the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic, where he had been detained for yet another parole violation, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials.

Paroled "Onion Field" police killer Jimmy Lee Smith has been arrested for allegedly threatening a man with an 8-inch kitchen knife in mid-April, police said today. Smith, 59, was arrested in the San Fernando Valley on Tuesday and was placed on "parole hold." No bail was set. It was the latest in a series of arrests since Smith was paroled in 1982 after serving 19 years in prison for his role in the 1963 slaying of Los Angeles Police Officer Ian Campbell.

Jimmy Lee Smith, who helped kill a police officer in an onion field outside Bakersfield more than 40 years ago, has violated parole and is being sought by law enforcement authorities, officials confirmed Sunday. A California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesman, Jonathan Parsley, said Smith, 76, has been at large since Dec. 22. Parsley said he could not specify what parole condition Smith violated.

"Jimmy's an excellent convict. He's a lousy citizen." --The Rev. Rex Burns, a longtime counselor to Jimmy Lee Smith, who has been in and out of prison since he was paroled for the 1963 "Onion Field" killing and may be incarcerated again after pleading guilty to possession of heroin in West Covina.

Gregory Powell, the so-called "Onion Field" killer, was denied parole on grounds he has refused to cooperate with psychologists and has learned no job skills during more than two decades in prison. Powell and Jimmy Lee Smith, who has since been paroled, were convicted of the March, 1963, shooting death of Los Angeles Police Officer Ian Campbell, who was abducted with his partner, Karl Hettinger, from a Hollywood street and taken to an onion field near Bakersfield. Campbell was shot five times in the chest at point-blank range.

A man who was sentenced to death for his role in the "Onion Field" killing of a police officer but was later paroled has been charged with theft and being under the influence of drugs, authorities said Tuesday. Jimmy Lee Smith, 61, was arrested Sunday for allegedly stealing $35 worth of cold medicine from a Thrifty drugstore on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. A second charge that Smith was under the influence of heroin and cocaine was also filed, Deputy City Atty. William Sterling said.

Paroled "Onion Field" police killer Jimmy Lee Smith was arrested in Van Nuys after he allegedly threatened a man with a butcher knife, Los Angeles police said Wednesday. Smith, 59, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, two weeks after a man complained that Smith had threatened him, Lt. Warren Knowles said. Smith, who police said was under the influence of heroin when arrested, was being held without bail because the arrest violates conditions of his parole.

Jimmy Lee Smith, convicted of killing a Los Angeles police officer in the infamous "Onion Field" case, began serving a 1 1/2-year jail sentence Wednesday after pleading guilty to theft and narcotics charges. He was charged with stealing eight packages of cold medicine from a Thrifty store in Hollywood on Feb. 16, and with being under the influence of codeine and morphine. Smith and Gregory Powell were convicted of kidnaping two Los Angeles policemen from a Hollywood street in 1963.

Paroled "Onion Field" killer Jimmy Lee Smith was sentenced in Los Angeles to six years in prison Monday on a drug charge. Smith, 65, pleaded guilty April 1 to one count of obtaining codeine, a controlled substance, by fraud. As part of the plea bargain agreement, Superior Court Commissioner Richard Price sentenced Smith to the six-year term.

Jimmy Lee Smith, who helped kill a police officer in an onion field outside Bakersfield more than 40 years ago, headed back to prison Monday after admitting that he violated parole by possessing heroin. Smith's attorney argued that the current offense isn't "the crime of the century." "No, he's already committed that one," responded Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Denis Aichroth, who sentenced Smith to three years.

Convicted killer Jimmy Lee Smith of the infamous "Onion Field" kidnapping-murder case could be headed back to prison, prosecutors said Friday. Smith, 74, faces up to four more years of incarceration if a judge finds that he violated parole by using drugs. He had been out of jail for about a year after serving a 60-day sentence for heroin possession, and was rearrested Tuesday when a police officer spotted him with a syringe, trying to shoot up, Deputy Dist. Atty. Carol Rash said.

Paroled "Onion Field" killer Jimmy Lee Smith was sentenced in Los Angeles to six years in prison Monday on a drug charge. Smith, 65, pleaded guilty April 1 to one count of obtaining codeine, a controlled substance, by fraud. As part of the plea bargain agreement, Superior Court Commissioner Richard Price sentenced Smith to the six-year term.

Jimmy Lee Smith, convicted of killing a Los Angeles police officer in the infamous "Onion Field" case, began serving a 1 1/2-year jail sentence Wednesday after pleading guilty to theft and narcotics charges. He was charged with stealing eight packages of cold medicine from a Thrifty store in Hollywood on Feb. 16, and with being under the influence of codeine and morphine. Smith and Gregory Powell were convicted of kidnaping two Los Angeles policemen from a Hollywood street in 1963.

A man who was sentenced to death for his role in the "Onion Field" killing of a police officer but was later paroled has been charged with theft and being under the influence of drugs, authorities said Tuesday. Jimmy Lee Smith, 61, was arrested Sunday for allegedly stealing $35 worth of cold medicine from a Thrifty drugstore on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. A second charge that Smith was under the influence of heroin and cocaine was also filed, Deputy City Atty. William Sterling said.

Paroled "Onion Field" police killer Jimmy Lee Smith was arrested in Van Nuys after he allegedly threatened a man with a butcher knife, Los Angeles police said Wednesday. Smith, 59, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, two weeks after a man complained that Smith had threatened him, Lt. Warren Knowles said. Smith, who police said was under the influence of heroin when arrested, was being held without bail because the arrest violates conditions of his parole.

Karl Hettinger, a former Los Angeles police officer who survived the 1963 "Onion Field" murder case, was appointed Wednesday by Gov. George Deukmejian to the Kern County Board of Supervisors. Hettinger, 52, who for the last 10 years has been administrative assistant to former Supervisor Trice Harvey, was appointed to serve the remaining 21 months of Harvey's term. Harvey was elected to the state Assembly last Nov. 4.

Paroled "Onion Field" police killer Jimmy Lee Smith has been arrested for allegedly threatening a man with an 8-inch kitchen knife in mid-April, police said today. Smith, 59, was arrested in the San Fernando Valley on Tuesday and was placed on "parole hold." No bail was set. It was the latest in a series of arrests since Smith was paroled in 1982 after serving 19 years in prison for his role in the 1963 slaying of Los Angeles Police Officer Ian Campbell.

"Jimmy's an excellent convict. He's a lousy citizen." --The Rev. Rex Burns, a longtime counselor to Jimmy Lee Smith, who has been in and out of prison since he was paroled for the 1963 "Onion Field" killing and may be incarcerated again after pleading guilty to possession of heroin in West Covina.