Nine people died in New Orleans in two events a week apart, on December 31, 1972 and January 7, 1973. The deaths were attributed to Mark Essex, a 23-year-old man from Kansas. Five of the dead were members of the New Orleans Police Department and four were civilians. Essex was killed by police on January 7, 1973. He was never arrested, charged or tried, so no court has made a finding about any of the deaths.
Essex was a native of Kansas. He had served in the United States Navy. He was living in New Orleans when the killings began.
On the night of December 31, 1972, two members of the New Orleans Police Department died after an attack in the city. Alfred Harrell, a member of the police department, died that night. Edwin Hosli, a police officer, died on March 5, 1973. A third member of the department was also hurt that night.
On Sunday, January 7, 1973, a series of killings began in the downtown business district of New Orleans. The police department identified Essex as the person responsible. Seven people died that day, three of them police officers: Deputy Superintendent Louis J. Sirgo, Paul Persigo and Philip Coleman. The other four dead were civilians.
Added to the two deaths from December 31, the total comes to nine. Five of the nine belonged to the police department. Essex was killed by police that day.
Essex was never charged. He died on January 7, 1973, before any arrest. No court was asked to decide his guilt, and the deaths remain attributed to him by police. He has no conviction, no sentence and no appeal.
The link between Essex and the two deaths of December 31 rests on police attribution alone. For both events, no court has examined the evidence.
Before 1972: Service in the United States Navy.
December 31, 1972: Two members of the police department die after an attack in New Orleans.
January 7, 1973: Seven people die in the downtown business district of New Orleans, three of them police officers; Essex is killed by police.
March 5, 1973: The second member of the police department injured on December 31 dies.