MA MD - Capt. James Hall, 53, Norbeck Hall, 23 Oct 1971

[Richard]

James T. Hall, 53, Montgomery Co. Sheriff's Office, MD Murdered 26 Oct 1971

Captain James T. Hall
Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, MD
Killed in the line of duty: Tuesday, October 26, 1971
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Location: Norbeck Hall, Montgomery Co. MD
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Captain James T. Hall
Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Maryland
End of Watch: Tuesday, October 26, 1971
Bio & Incident Details
Age: 53
Tour: 10 years
Badge # 468
Cause: Gunfire
Weapon: Gun; Unknown type
Offender: Not available

Case Summary:

James T. Hall, 53, was a Montgomery County deputy sheriff who was working in uniform overnight on a security detail at the Manor County Club, 14901 Carrolton Road in Norbeck Hall. Captain Hall was shot the evening of 23 October 1971 while attempting to arrest two burglary suspects.

When found he was lying in the parking lot shot in the back of the head. His own gun was found underneath his body. He died in hospital on 26 October 1971.

Captain Hall had served with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office for 10 years. He was survived by his wife, two children, and four grandchildren.

There had been a series of professional burglaries happening in the county that were never solved. In this case expensive items were taken and found stored beneath a tree on the golf course.

At about the same time that officers received the call about a burglary at the Country Club, another call was dispatched for a burglary at 4119 Beverly Road which was adjacent to the golf course. It was thought that Hall somehow interrupted the burglars and was shot during the confrontation.

The same evening the vending machines at the club had been broken into and there was a group of 4-6 teenage suspects who were known to do this sort of thing.

Investigation records state, "all viable suspects have been eliminated".

If you have any information related to this unsolved crime, please contact:

Major Crimes Section of the Montgomery County Police
301-773-5070


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LINKS:

http://www.odmp.org/search/year/1971

http://www.odmp.org/officer/5933-captain-james-t-hall

http://www.woodlandsonline.com/dbs/sheriff/files/File/COLDCASE.pdf

http://www.odmp.org/officer/5933-captain-james-t-hall#ixzz3VjcGN4nk

http://www.monocacymonocle.com/images/issues_2006/mm_2006-10-20.pdf

Washington Post, 27 October 1971

 

[Falcon500]

This is the only unsolved murder of a law enforcement officer in the history of Montgomery County, Maryland. There are two different theories on who might be responsible.

On the same night that Captain Hall was on patrol at the country club a residential burglary happened nearby and the stolen goods were later found on the golf course. On the other hand the vending machines at the club were broken into on the same night. It is possible that Hall interrupted one or the other groups of thieves.

 

[Richard]

James Hall: Social Security Death Index (SSDI) Death Record

http://www.genealogybank.com/gbnk/ssdi/doc/news/112D455ADE9BB180

 

[Richard]

Captain James T. Hall
Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Maryland
End of Watch Tuesday, October 26, 1971

 

[Richard]

Captain James T. Hall

Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Maryland
End of Watch Tuesday, October 26, 1971

Captain James Hall was shot and killed while attempting to arrest two burglary suspects in the parking lot of the Manor Country Club, located near Great Oak Road and Carrolton Road.

Captain Hall had served with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office for 10 years. He was survived by his wife, two children, and four grandchildren.

Bio

• Age 53
• Tour 10 years
• Badge 468

Incident Details

• Cause Gunfire
• Weapon Handgun; .22 caliber
• Offender Not available

 

[Caring1]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/09/06/1871-murder-arrest/

 

[Richard]

Suspect Confesses to 1971 Slaying of Maryland Deputy Sheriff...​

Captain James Hall
Murdered 23 October 1971


LINK:

Suspect Confesses to 1971 Slaying of Maryland Deputy Sheriff: Police

Detectives closed the 51-year-old homicide of a Montgomery County special deputy sheriff last week.

www.nbcwashington.com

 

[Falcon500]

Suspect Confesses to 1971 Slaying of Maryland Deputy Sheriff...​

Captain James Hall
Murdered 23 October 1971


LINK:

Suspect Confesses to 1971 Slaying of Maryland Deputy Sheriff: Police

Detectives closed the 51-year-old homicide of a Montgomery County special deputy sheriff last week.

www.nbcwashington.com

This was a tremendous job of police work. Some of the same detectives that were involved in the Lyons sisters murder were involved. As with the Lyons sisters case the answer lay buried in the case file.

 

[Shot tower17]

Sheriff’s Deputy James T. Hall murder SOLVED


-reel to reel tape converted to digital form help solve 51 year old case.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/09/07/cold-case-killing-solved-montgomery-county/

 

[dotr]

Jan 12, 2024
A jury is deliberating in the alleged 1971 murder of a Montgomery County sheriff’s deputy. James Tappen Hall’s killing remained unsolved for more than 50 years before investigators took another look at the evidence and arrested a suspect. News4’s Paul Wagner reports.

James Tappen Hall - Google Search

 

[Richard]

James Tappen Hall had six brothers and three sisters. All have since passed away.

LINK:

FamilySearch.org

Discover your family history. Explore the world’s largest collection of free family trees, genealogy records and resources.

ancestors.familysearch.org

 

[dotr]

Jan 17 2024

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/01/17/cold-case-murder-mistrial-montgomery-county/

'The trial of a 72-year-old man charged with murder in the decades-old killing of a Maryland sheriff’s deputy ended in a mistrial Wednesday, the latest turn in a case that had gone dormant until detectives recently revisited the investigation'.

 

[bessie]

Mistrial declared in 1971 killing of Montgomery County sheriff's deputy

A judge declared a mistrial Wednesday evening in the 1971 killing of a special sheriff’s deputy as jurors were deadlocked after more than two days of deliberation. One juror who remained anonymous told News4 that several people on the jury didn’t think the state proved its case and that one or...

www.nbcwashington.com

Mistrial declared in 1971 killing of Montgomery County sheriff's deputy​

Jury deadlocked after more than two days of deliberation​

By Paul Wagner, News4 Reporter • Published 5 mins ago • Updated 4 mins ago​

[...]
One juror who remained anonymous told News4 that several people on the jury didn’t think the state proved its case and that one or two were convinced they would never convict 71-year-old Larry David Smith in the death of Montgomery County Deputy James Tappen Hall.

“This is not over yet,” said Hall’s daughter, Carolyn Philo. “We will be back.”

 

[Richard]

Captain James T. Hall, age 53
Murdered 23 October 1971

 

[Richard]

Mistrial declared in 1971 killing of Montgomery County sheriff's deputy​

Jury deadlocked after more than two days of deliberation​

Get it back and get it right.

 

[Richard]

Bumping this thread up. So what is the status od Larry David Smith today? Will there be a retrial?

 

[dotr]

May 2025

Fallen But Not Forgotten: The True Story of Captain James Tappen Hall and a Cold Case That Took Decades to Solve eBook : Vannoy , Stephen : Amazon.in: Kindle Store

Fallen But Not Forgotten: The True Story of Captain James Tappen Hall and a Cold Case That Took Decades to Solve eBook : Vannoy , Stephen : Amazon.in: Kindle Store

www.amazon.in

''Fallen But Not Forgotten: The True Story of Captain James Tappen Hall and a Cold Case That Took Decades to Solve Kindle Edition​

by Stephen Vannoy (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
''When Captain James Tappen Hall was shot on a rainy night at Manor Country Club in 1971, the community of Montgomery County was shaken to its core. A dedicated officer, a loving husband and father, and a trusted protector of his community, Captain Hall’s life was tragically cut short. For more than fifty years, the mystery of who was responsible haunted his family, friends, and fellow officers—until new technology, relentless determination, and the power of a community’s voice finally brought the truth to light.

This is not just a true crime story—it’s a profound journey through grief, hope, and justice. Follow the painstaking investigation that spanned decades, the breakthroughs that reopened cold cases, and the courage it took to confront the past and hold a suspect accountable after so many years.

https://www.amazon.com/Second-Shot-Pursuit-Justice-Marylands-ebook/dp/B0F6JR9L83

''A Second Shot: The Pursuit of Justice in Maryland’s Oldest Cold Case Murder ''​

by Michael F. Weisberg (Author)
''In 1971, Montgomery County Deputy Sheriff James Tappen Hall was gunned down outside a Maryland country club. The case went cold—no suspect, no answers, no closure. Fifty years later, cold case detectives reopened the investigation and identified a suspect whose shocking confession revealed a detail never released to the public: Hall was shot twice. A Second Shot by Dr. Michael Weisberg is a gripping true crime story of justice delayed but not denied—and a deeply personal tale of second chances for both a grieving family and the author himself.''

New York Man Who Changed His Last Name Allegedly Confesses to 1971 Cold Case Murder of Captain James Tappen Hall in Maryland

"To obtain a confession for someone who committed a crime 51 years ago is a tremendous, tremendous accomplishment," the police chief said on Wednesday.

lawandcrime.com

''According to the police department, the cold case investigators learned that Becker "began using the last name Smith" in 1975 and moved to upstate New York, where he had been living for over 45 years.''

Larry David Becker appears in a 1973 booking photo, before he changed his last name to Smith.

 

[dotr]

Jan 2024 rbbm.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/01/17/cold-case-murder-mistrial-montgomery-county/

''Montgomery County Cold Case detectives reopened the case in 2021. They found an old reel-to-reel recording of an interview in case files, had it digitally converted by the FBI, and heard the voice of Smith, which in their minds put him at the scene of the crime. They tracked him down in Upstate New York, and persuaded him to sit down for a nearly four-hour interview on Sept. 1, 2022.''

“We are absolutely, 100 percent going to retry this case,” Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said after court on Wednesday.''