In the Evil Day: A Small Town in New Hampshire and the Crime That Stunned the Nation

Presenter: Richard Adams Carey

On August 19, 1997, in little Colebrook, New Hampshire, a 62-year-old carpenter named Carl Drega, a man with long-simmering property rights grievances, murdered state troopers Scott Phillips and Les Lord at a traffic stop in a supermarket parking lot. Then Drega stole Phillips's cruiser and drove downtown to settle some old scores. By the end of the day three more were dead, Drega among them, and four wounded. Occurring on the eve of America's current plague of gun violence, this tragic event made headlines all over the world and shocked New Hampshire out of a previous innocence. Touching on facets of North Country history, local governance, law enforcement, gun violence, and the human spirit, Richard Adams Carey describes a community that was never a passive victim but rather a brave and resilient survivor. 

Event Details

When:

Monday, May 5, 2025 6:00pm

Where:

Epsom Public Library
1606 Dover Road
Epsom NH 03234

Hosted By:

Epsom Public Library

Contact Info:

Madison Bowen, 603-736-9920