Kristen Hearne, 29, was killed in the line of duty on September 29, 2017, in Cedartown, Georgia. A five-year veteran of the Polk County Police Department, she was a wife to a fellow officer and a mother to a young son. Her death was the department’s first line-of-duty fatality in its 60-year history.

Hearne was serving as backup on a routine check of a suspicious vehicle on a rural road when two people emerged from nearby woods. Reports say Seth Brandon Spangler allegedly produced a handgun and opened fire; the other officer was struck in his bulletproof vest and survived, while Hearne was shot multiple times and sustained fatal wounds. A massive manhunt followed. Samantha Roof was captured shortly after the shooting; Spangler remained at large for hours before being found and arrested, prompting use of Georgia’s Blue Alert to notify the public.

Both Spangler and Roof were arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault. In March 2022, Seth Brandon Spangler pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life without parole. Kristen Hearne was posthumously honored and remembered by family, colleagues, and the community for her service and sacrifice.

If anyone knew Detective Hearne, her family, or witnessed the events that day, please come forward with any information.