3 men charged in 1980 slaying of Hammond officer - WDRB 41 Louisville - News, Weather, Sports Community

3 men charged in 1980 slaying of Hammond officer

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Officer Larry Pucalik Officer Larry Pucalik
Larry Mayes Larry Mayes
James Hill James Hill

CROWN POINT, Ind. (AP) -- Prosecutors have filed murder charges against 3 men in connection with the 1980 slaying of an off-duty Hammond police officer during a robbery attempt.

62-year-old Larry Mayes of Portage and 49-year-old James Hill of Gary are being held at the Lake County Jail in Crown Point. The third man charged Friday, 62-year-old Pierre Catlett of Harvey, Ill., remains at large.

Officer Larry Pucalik was working security Nov. 14, 1980, at the Hammond Holiday Inn when two men pulled guns and demanded money from the clerk. Pucalik was shot trying to stop the robbery.

The Times reports Mayes served 19 years on a rape conviction before being released based on DNA evidence. Hill was awarded post-conviction relief in the rape case because of discovery violations.

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    Thanks to a grant from Norton Healthcare, this story and others are available in real-time closed captioning on WDRB.