Today in the District Court for Montgomery County, in Rockville, MD, Judge Aileen Oliver ordered defendant, Larry Smith, 71, of Little Falls, NY, held without bond pending trial. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for October 7th at 9:30 am. Smith, (a.k.a. Larry Becker) is facing murder charges for the death of Montgomery County Special Deputy Sheriff Captain James Tappen Hall in 1971.
Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division Cold Case Unit arrested 71-year-old Larry David Smith (also known as Larry David Becker) last week for killing Montgomery County Special Deputy Sheriff Captain James Tappen Hall, in 1971. On Saturday, October 23, 1971, at approximately 10:40 p.m., Montgomery County Police officers were called to the Manor Country Club in the 14900 block of Carrolton Rd. in Rockville, MD, after witnesses reported a man lying face down in the southeast parking lot. Officers arrived at the scene and located Captain Hall suffering from a gunshot wound. Hall was transported to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on October 26, 1971. Investigators believe that Hall interrupted a residential burglary in progress.