John Ernest Van Haaften, 25, was killed during an undercover narcotics operation in Knoxville, Iowa, on April 9, 1980. Van Haaften was a patrolman with the Pella Police Department working undercover for the Knoxville Police Department. After arranging a drug buy at a residence around 4:00 p.m., he moved in to arrest a suspect and was struck in the chest by a .410 gauge shotgun fired by a 17-year-old in the house. Van Haaften stumbled out and radioed for backup before collapsing.

A subsequent investigation identified two principal suspects. The 17-year-old who fired the fatal shot pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to five years in prison. The person who sold the drugs to the undercover officer also pleaded guilty and received a prison sentence for their role. Van Haaften was survived by his wife, who was expecting their child, and by his daughter.

Did anyone in Knoxville at the time have memories of the case or the family that could add context to what happened that day?