Randy Jurgensen is a former NYPD detective, best known as the lead investigator into the murder of patrolman Phil Cardillo. Jurgenson was born in 1933 to Elizabeth and Randolf Jurgenson in Harlem, NY. He served in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper and was in the Battle of Pork Chop Hill in the Korean War. He was decorated with three bronze stars and a purple heart. He entered the NYPD in 1958 as a patrolman and was quickly promoted to detective. He worked undercover investigating members of the Black Liberation Army. At one point, the BLA placed a $50,000 bounty on his head, which is believed to still exist today. From 1973 to 1976, he led the Cardillo murder investigation. He was forced to retire from the NYPD, pleading nolo contendere to a series of charges brought up on by the NYPD. While still a detective for the NYPD, he began working on films as a consultant. He transitioned to a career in film acting and production and has appeared in more than 30 films.