The Onion Field 1979

As the sun set on a fateful evening in 1963, LAPD detectives Karl Hettinger and Ian Campbell found themselves in a dire predicament. Their moment of recklessness, stemming from an illegal U-turn, led them into a dark journey both literally and metaphorically. This pivotal choice brought them face-to-face with the devious duo of Greg Powell and Jimmy “Youngblood” Smith, who ignobly abducted them from the vibrant streets of Los Angeles and transported them to the haunting onion fields near Bakersfield, California.

In that chilling, moonlit atmosphere, the life of Campbell was tragically cut short, while Hettinger managed to elude death by the narrowest of margins. The traumatic events that unfolded would later be recounted by Hettinger, leading ultimately to the apprehension and sentencing of Powell and Smith for first-degree murder. As both criminals languished on death row, they engaged in a protracted game of survival with the legal system, eventually benefiting from a landmark ruling that abolished capital punishment in California, which allowed them to trade their death sentences for life imprisonment.

In stark contrast, Hettinger faced a downward spiral as he grappled with the profound guilt stemming from his partner’s untimely death. The crushing weight of his remorse haunted him relentlessly, manifesting through vivid nightmares, a struggle with impotence, significant weight loss, kleptomania, and even suicidal ideation. The emotional upheaval mirrored the deterioration of his physical health, as each passing year only intensified his internal conflict.

Ultimately, in a desperate bid for renewal, Hettinger stepped down from his role in the LAPD, his previously unblemished record now blemished by accusations of theft. To reclaim his sense of purpose, he sought a fresh start in the realm of horticulture, establishing his own gardening business in a fragile endeavor to piece together his fractured identity and rediscover meaning in his life.