Leigh Remizowski
For The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
It was a routine traffic stop 25 years ago that changed Mary Ann Jones’ life forever.
Her husband, Saxonburg Police Chief Gregory Adams, was fatally shot when he pulled over a car with out-of-state plates in Saxonburg after its driver had run a stop sign.
The suspect, Donald Eugene Webb, has never been found.
He was wanted on a federal warrant for interstate flight to avoid prosecution on burglary charges and remains on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List of Fugitives.
Dec. 4 was the 25th anniversary of Chief Adams’ death, a time each year that is always sad for Mrs. Jones.
“I just feel kind of down at this time of year, but I force myself to look forward to Christmas. Having my family around makes it much easier,” said Mrs. Jones, who has since remarried.
This year, though, the shooting death of Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Joseph R. Pokorny during a Dec. 12 traffic stop in Carnegie added to her anguish.
She found herself in tears in the days after Cpl. Pokorny, 45, of Moon, died. She couldn’t watch the news or listen to the radio without feeling a rush of painful memories return.
“Whenever a police officer gets shot, it affects me,” she said. “Even after 25 years, it still bothers me.”
Jim Poydence, a state police investigator who was friends with Chief Adams, was the lead officer in the investigation of his death. He also knew Cpl. Pokorny.
“Both were aggressive, quick thinking, unafraid and exhibited good common sense,” he said. “But the circumstances that existed at the time of each of these traffic stops were as unpredictable as thousands made each day by officers throughout the country who simply, by the grace of God, are able to return home safely.”
Now retired from the state police and working as a private investigator, Mr. Poydence vividly remembers Dec. 4, 1980. He was traveling south from a criminal investigation in northern Butler County when he received a call.
“The initial call came from the Butler barracks, and I immediately knew it had to be Greg,” he said. “We were then told the officer was dead on arrival.”
Mrs. Jones was immediately faced with the burden of telling her son, Ben, who was almost 3, about his father. “Ben was angry,” she said. “And I had to deal with his anger.” She also had another son, Greg, who was 8 months old at the time.
She also had to deal with finding a job and raising her two sons on her own.
“You just live from hour to hour and day to day then week to week,” Mrs. Jones said of getting through the time after her husband’s death. “That’s just what you do.”
Chief Adams always found time to spend with his family. He took Ben fishing even before he was old enough to cast a line. “He was a great husband and a great father,” Mrs. Jones said.
Mr. Poydence agreed that Chief Adams was a family man as well as a good police officer. “He was a tough type of cop,” he said. “He wasn’t real big, but he was no-nonsense and always on top of things.”
A wall in the Saxonburg Police Department station is dedicated to commemorating Chief Adams. It contains a memorial plaque along with framed mementos and a photo of the signing of the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998, which provides grants to buy bulletproof vests for police officers.
Chief Adams was not wearing a bulletproof vest when he was shot twice -- once in his side and once in his chest.
“Not only did his death teach our department in the way we conduct traffic stops, but it helped every policeman in the state of Pennsylvania,” said Erik Bergstrom, a Saxonburg police officer.
Officer Bergstrom didn’t know Chief Adams, but his death has had an impact on the way he and his fellow officers work.
“He made guys more cautious,” he said. “You try not to get lackadaisical because out here you don’t have [immediate] backup. It’s here, but it might be 15 minutes away.”
Mr. Poydence said the job can become routine, but events such as the deaths of two well-trained, experienced officers illustrate how unpredictable it can be.
“It brings into reality just how dangerous of a job you have. Even though every day is usually uneventful, you can never let your guard down.”
In the midst of the holiday season, Mrs. Jones empathizes with Mr. Pokorny’s family. She offers the same advice she followed 25 years ago.
“Everything can’t be expected to be all right overnight,” she said. “There’s a big hole in your life --it’s like a train wreck. You have to find a different path now.”
Her sons are now 28 and 25. “We still talk about him,” she said. “If my kids have questions, I answer them.”
And the Saxonburg Police Department holds great respect for Chief Adams. Officer Bergstrom wishes they could have met. “He’s a guy that had a lot of experience,” he said. “He would’ve given a lot more years and made the department even better.”
But the case remains a puzzle, and Mr. Webb remains at large. Mr. Poydence receives a phone call each time a new lead shows up.
He still reviews his notes every once in awhile in hopes that Mr. Webb will be found.
“In a civilized society, when any person loses his or her life, we have a duty as law enforcement officers to do the best we can to bring those responsible to justice because the victim can’t,” Mr. Poydence said. “We’re working for that person to gain some kind of justice for the loss of life and the happiness for those he or she loved and cherished.”
Chief Adams’ name is still recognized in Saxonburg.
“People talk about him every day,” Officer Bergstrom said. “He has not been forgotten.”