Martin James Durkin

Martin James Durkin (February 16, 1901 – May 25, 1981 ) was an Irish-American criminal and car thief. He is credited as the first man to kill a federal agent and was the subject of an intense manhunt by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Personally led by J. Edgar Hoover, then recently appointed Director of the FBI, it was one of the first major investigations by the agency, who were led by Durkin on a three-month chase through five states before his capture in 1926.

Biography In late 1925, Durkin came under investigation by federal authorities for violation of the Dyer Act. A professional car thief, the 25-year-old was suspected of transporting stolen cars across state lines. On October 11, 1925, Durkin was followed to a Chicago garage by federal Special Agent Edwin C. Shanahan. When Shanahan approached the car Durkin was in he surprised him and Durkin shot him in the chest. The story received national attention since Shanahan was the first federal agent to be killed in the line of duty. Durkin was then tried in federal court on seven counts for violations of the Dyer Act. After being convicted on two separate trials and received 5-year sentences, on each count, Durkin pleaded guilty to the five remaining counts. He was sentenced to one year and one day in prison on each charge. All of his federal sentences were ordered to run consecutively to both each other and his state sentence.

Durkin served nearly 20 years at Stateville Prison. After being paroled on August 8, 1945, he was transferred to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary where he remained until his parole on July 28, 1954. and his officers went to Lloyd Ervin Austin Sr.'s apartment and asked if they could wait inside for Durkin. Austin gave permission and the officers stationed themselves in the 2nd floor rear apartment and awaited Durkin's arrival.

In addition to the officers inside the apartment, several officers were stationed throughout the neighborhood. As Durkin arrived, accompanied by his girlfriend Elizabeth Grace "Betty" Andrews, Austin's niece, Sergeant Gray arrested him. However, a struggle between the two ensued. During the fight, Sergeant Michael Naughton pointed his shotgun at Durkin and as he pulled the trigger, Sergeant Gray fell against Durkin. His blast grazed Durkin’s left arm with the rest of the slugs going through a wall and into a closet where Austin was hiding. Austin was struck and mortally wounded. In retaliation for her uncle being shot, Betty Andrews produced a revolver and fired, fatally wounding Sergeant Gray. Durkin was also shot during the struggle, but was unhurt as he was wearing a bulletproof vest. Lloyd Austin was taken to a hospital where he died the next day. Sergeant Gray was taken to Mercy Hospital where his wife was already a patient. She sat at his bedside until he succumbed to his wounds five days later at 5:15 a.m. on November 2, 1925. Sergeant Gray’s last word were reported as, "O, if Naughton had only known how to use a shotgun, or if he had let me take it."

Betty Andrews, who was the star witness against Durkin at his murder trial, was never tried for killing Gray. She died of tuberculosis near Oak Forest, Illinois on April 24, 1932.