Killed in line of duty
“We must remember that Dec. 4 is a dark date in the history of our town,” said Saxonburg Police Chief Joe Beachem.
On the 35th anniversary of the murder of Saxonburg Police Chief Greg Adams, more than 50 community members, police officers and family members gathered Friday for a memorial service.
Adams, 31, was killed in 1980 while making a traffic stop.
He allegedly was shot by 52-year-old Donald Eugene Webb of Massachusetts about 3 p.m. near the Agway Feed Store on Butler Street.
Adams was shot twice, once in the chest and once under an arm, and he also was beaten around his head. He died on the way to Butler Memorial Hospital.
Webb never was caught and the last confirmed sighting of him was in 1981.
The service outside the borough building near a memorial plaque for Adams began with a state police honor guard presenting the colors, the singing of the national anthem, a prayer and a proclamation from borough Mayor Pam Bauman.
Former Chief Gordon Mainhart, who was the only other officer on the borough police force besides Adams in 1980, read a brief statement about Adams.
“He was always there to give a helping hand,” Mainhart said.
Beachem was 12 years old when Adams was killed. He remembers how shocking the incident was for Butler County, and said he was scared and confused.
While Adams left behind a wife and two sons, Beachem said his family always will have a family in the law enforcement community.
He also rhetorically asked Webb's friends and family what the purpose is of concealing Webb's fate and whereabouts, asking them to imagine how they would feel if the situation was reversed.
Beachem said there are several pictures of Adams in the police station, adding borough officers are thankful to have those “snapshots of his life and work.”
“His life is worthy of remembrance and celebration,” Beachem said.
The ceremony ended with the singing of “Amazing Grace” and “God Bless America,” a gun salute and taps.Adams' family members attended, as well as police officers from several municipal departments, county officials, first responders who were at the scene of the shooting and FBI agents who investigated the crime.A Harrison Township native, Adams had been on the borough's police force since 1973. He had a master's degree from Indiana (Pa.) University, and taught criminology there.Adams was able to report Webb's license plate number after he was wounded. Webb's car was found a few weeks later in a parking lot in Rhode Island.Webb was a career criminal who used several aliases and also was wanted by the FBI for failing to appear in court on charges of attempted burglary. He spent nearly 26 years on the FBI's most wanted list, for a while holding the record for most time on the list.On Friday, the FBI announced a $100,000 reward to anyone who can lead agents to the arrest of Webb or to his remains.The year before Adams was killed, the borough bought bulletproof vests for officers. Adams normally wore his vest during night shifts, but was not wearing it when he was shot.
