"Heroes Live Forever" - the story of Franklin Township (NJ) Police Sgt. Ippolito "Lee" Gonzalez

A cold-blooded killer was released from prison after just 15 years--a few months later he murdered a police sergeant with 20 years of distinguished service.

Franklin Township (NJ) Police Sgt. Ippolito "Lee" Gonzalez

McLean, VA (April 22, 2025) - For two decades, Franklin Township (NJ) Police Sgt. Ippolito “Lee” Gonzalez distinguished himself as a no-nonsense cop who had a keen eye for suspicious activity and never shied away from following his instincts. The night of May 6, 1995, was no different. About 10:30 p.m.—just a half hour before the end of his shift—Sgt. Gonzalez pulled over a suspicious vehicle occupied by two men: Robert “Mudman” Simon, and Charles “Shovel” Staples. Both were members of the outlaw Warlocks Motorcycle Club. They had committed a burglary just minutes before the stop. As Sgt. Gonzalez was examining Staples’ driver’s license, he was shot twice by Simon and died a few hours later. The two cop killers were arrested after a brief chase and convicted of felony murder. At trial, the prosecution brought up Simon’s prior criminal record. In 1982, Simon was convicted of the heinous murder of his 19-year-old girlfriend. She refused to have sex with his fellow motorcycle gang members, so he killed her. After serving just 15 years in prison for her murder, the criminal justice system let Simon go free—only to kill again. Listen to the podcast to learn more: https://open.substack.com/pub/behindbadge/p/heroes-live-forever-the-story-of-625?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web