Leslie George Les Lord, 45, was killed on August 19, 1997, during a sudden outbreak of violence in Colebrook, New Hampshire. A New Hampshire State Trooper and former Pittsburg police chief (1975–1987), Lord responded to a traffic stop where the driver, Carl Drega, opened fire on Trooper Scott Phillips. Before Lord could exit his cruiser, Drega shot and fatally wounded him.

After killing Lord, Drega executed the wounded Phillips, stole his patrol car, and drove into Colebrook, where he murdered newspaper editor Dennis Joos and part-time judge Vickie Bunnell. Drega then crossed into Vermont, wounding four more officers during the manhunt. Surrounded in the woods of Vermont, Drega was shot and killed, so no arrests were made in connection with these killings.

The sequence raises questions about response timing and how a single traffic stop escalated into multiple targeted attacks; what details about that morning still need more attention?