Cole Phelps (Outlaw’s Saga)

L.A.P.D. Detective Cole Phelps (January 19, 1920 - September 30, 1947) was a former U.S. Marine during World War II. He served as Lieutenant while operating out of Okinawa, Japan, but after an incident he was injured in, he was discharged. Later, he joined the Los Angeles Police Department, starting off as a beat cop, then made his way up the ranks, up until a certain event had costed him his image. In the end of his life, he had sought and achieved his own redemption. He is mentioned in The Outlaw’s Saga - Far Cry: Far Lands by former NYPD Officer Calvin Rook, who noted his excellent investigative skills and work achievements.
== Biography ==
=== History ===
Cole Phelps was born on January 19, 1920 in San Francisco, California. Both his father and his grandfather ran a shipping company. He eventually attended Stanford University.
By the time World War II occurred, Cole enlisted in the United States Marines. Before that, he met and married a woman named Marie, which resulted in the two having two daughters.
=== USMC ===
Between the late 1930’s to the early 1940’s, Cole served in the United States Marines and attended a cadet school, eventually climbing the ranks, but he did not earn the respect of his fellow officers. By the time he was Lieutenant, Cole and his company were operating on Sugar Loaf in Okinawa, Japan. In a hastily decided action, Cole ordered the burning of a cave that potentially was a Japanese hideout, but it turned out to be a hospital full of sick people, women, and children. Cole was horrified and scarred by the event and after he ordered for the soldiers to put the injured out of their misery, he was suddenly shot by soldier Courteney Sheldon out of anger. Cole was carried away and the soldiers would never dare to bring it back up again.
=== Discharge and Return Home ===
After Cole’s injury, he returned back home to America, settling with his family in Los Angeles, California, where he would enlist as a police officer.
=== Events of L.A. Noire ===
==== Joining the LAPD ====
Starting out as a patrol officer, Phelps demonstrated high potential as an officer, from solving the murder of Scooter Peyton to foiling an armed bank robbery and arresting Wendell Bowers. After solving the murder of Everett Gage, Phelps’ displays of intuition and ability were recognized by Captain James Donnelly.
==== Promotion to Detective ====
Phelps was soon after promoted to Detective in the Traffic department and partnered with Stefan Bekowsky. Together the two solved a string of intriguing cases, such as uncovering acts of conspiracies, fraud and even murder, while generating good press for the department. For his hard work and dedication he is transferred to the burglary division.
==== Promotion to Homicide ====
Six months later, Phelps was promoted to Homicide and partnered with Rusty Galloway. Phelps and Galloway were assigned to a series of gruesome and brutal murders. However, despite closing the cases and arresting suspects with strong evidence, Phelps began to see that all the murders were connected to each other and to the unresolved Black Dahlia murder. After receiving anonymous letters taunting the Homicide Department, Phelps realized that the true killer - the Black Dahlia murderer - was still at large.
Using the letters, Phelps and Galloway followed clues leading them to several landmarks across the city. At each location, Phelps was able to solve puzzles and elude traps, as he was being set up and tested by the killer. The final clue led to the Christ Crown of Thorns, where they found the killer, revealing himself to be Garrett Mason. Phelps chased after Mason through the church catacombs, finally killing Mason in a shootout in the graveyard.
However, Donnelly arrived and revealed that Mason was the half brother of a powerful and undisclosed politician. As such, Mason’s name and acts were to be kept out of public knowledge and off the official records. To ensure Phelps’ silence, Donnelly promised that the previous, falsely arrested suspects would be quietly released.
==== Reassignment to Vice ====
Phelps was later reassigned to the Vice squad by the request of Roy Earle. Their first case together involved solving the stolen morphine distribution from the SS Coolridge robbery, during which they arrested several dealers and killed Lenny Finkelstein in a shootout. During later cases and investigations, Phelps’ time with Earle and the Vice Squad gave him insight into the politics and corruption of the LAPD and the city’s administration.
Phelps and Earle later discovered a violent gang war for the stolen morphine between the Cohen Crime Syndicate and Phelps’ former battalion of Marines. While investigating leads for the morphine, Phelps visited the The Blue Room jazz club and questioned German singer Elsa Lichtmann. He later tailed her to her apartment. In actuality, Phelps had developed a love interest in Elsa over the months and despite him being married, had begun an affair with her.
Phelps and Earle attempted to stop the several assassination attempts on the surviving Marines, sent by Mickey Cohen. Although most of the Marines died, Phelps obtained enough evidence to prove that Courtney Sheldon was responsible for the robbery and morphine distribution. However, before Phelps could close the case and extract a confession from Sheldon and Fontaine, he was summoned by Chief William Worrell, DA Donald Sandler, and Donnelly. They revealed the adultery charges against Cole by his wife, and proceeded in suspending him from the force.
Phelps returned home to Marie, however she refused to listen. Feeling angry, betrayed, and humiliated, she kicked him out. With his affair publicized, turning him into a disgraced cop, Phelps moved in with Elsa.
==== Demotion to Arson ====
Following Phelps' suspension, he was demoted to the lowly Arson Squad and partnered with Herschel Biggs, as his adultery charge was yet to be heard in court. Phelps was tasked to investigate a series of house fires. After thorough investigation, Phelps began to suspect that property developer Leland Monroe was somehow benefitting from the fires and possibly causing them. However, Phelps was sternly warned not to investigate Monroe’s affairs due to his prominence and high-level connections in the city's administration.
The investigation came to a grinding halt as Cole's efforts were frozen by the corrupt. Phelps learned of Elsa’s substantial insurance settlement from being named as the sole beneficiary of Lou Buchwalter’s estate, after he was killed in an industrial accident at one of Monroe’s housing development sites. This aroused Cole's suspicion, and he requested that she personally see Jack Kelso to help his investigation.
Thanks to Kelso’s own private investigation, they discovered a conspiracy committed by the Suburban Redevelopment Fund, headed by Monroe with support of most important city officials - including the Mayor, Police Chief and District Attorney. The plan of the group was to build poor quality houses with the intent to burn them down, and to cash in on grand insurance money.
Phelps confronted Kelso at his office at California Fire and Life, apologizing for not being honest and inadvertently involving him in danger. Kelso sensed Phelps' guilt and confronted him about Sugar Loaf Hill, saying that he should stop blaming himself for lacking courage. With their past enmity finally put to rest, the two agreed to help each other solve their respective cases and end the conspiracy.
Phelps and Biggs later discovered the murdered body of Courtney Sheldon, however Earle appeared on scene and slandered Sheldon as “a victim of his own product”. Phelps pulled out his gun at Earle, enraged, and defending the deceased Sheldon as an honorable and brave Marine. Composed, Phelps took the opportunity to tell Earle that SRF's plans were failing, and warned Earle that his corruption would be exposed.
Phelps, Biggs and Galloway investigated the scene of Dr. Harlan Fontaine’s murder, another member of the SRF. They also learned of Elsa’s kidnapping at the hands of the arsonist. Within the office, Phelps deduced that the scheme of the SRF was to extort money not by insurance, but from the government through eminent domain. In order to prove this and bring down the city’s corruption, Phelps was determined to arrest the arsonist to close the case and to rescue Elsa.
They later arrived to Kelso’s aid in a rescue attempt to save Elsa. However, while driving to the river tunnels, they were intercepted by police patrols under the orders of corrupt Police Commissioner Worrell. Making their separate ways through the river tunnels, Kelso and Phelps found Elsa under the protection of Ira. As Kelso lamented the insanity of their former comrade, Ira reminded Phelps of both their parts in the atrocity at Okinawa. Phelps carried Elsa to safety as Kelso performed a mercy kill on Ira.
=== Death ===
Helping Elsa and Kelso out the tunnel with the aid of Biggs, Phelps was last to get out. Upon seeing a rushing wave of water coming towards him, Phelps realized that he was out of reach and time to get out. Phelps simply uttered a final goodbye to his friends before being swept away by a violent torrent of water, drowning in the process.
Bekowsky, Dunn, Earle, Galloway, Biggs, Kelso, Elsa, Bowron, Worrell, Carruthers, Pinker, Leary, Petersen, Marie and his two daughters were in attendance at his funeral. Earle delivered the eulogy, praising Cole's actions in the war and his actions while with the LAPD. Earle also denounced the "false" accusations made against him, angering Elsa in the process. When Kelso tried to calm her, Elsa slapped his hand away, saying "And you call yourself his friend..." before leaving. When Biggs pointed out that Kelso and Phelps were never friends, Kelso agreed, but added that he was never Phelps' enemy. Biggs said he believed Phelps knew that.
=== Legacy ===
Phelps’ actions were eventually noted and written in a book titled “L.A. Noire” as a way to honor his good deeds, despite his tarnished reputation.
Around 2017, 70 years after Cole’s death, former New York Police Department officer, Calvin Rook discovered the book detailing Cole’s story during his time in Los Angeles and was intrigued.
== Appearance ==
== Personality ==
As a U.S. Marine Lieutenant in the Pacific during World War II, Cole did not feel much pride in himself in retrospect. He was reckless and overconfident, which caused and ensured his long time rivalry with Jack Kelso. During the war, he was very strict about following and obeying military rules and regulations, unlike some of his fellow marines.
Cole’s actions were also ruinous. As a result, he saw a lot of death and destruction during the war, from his act of cowardice on Sugar Loaf Hill to the atrocity in the cave, all of which impacted him emotionally and mentally. These events continued to haunt him through his life, and seemed to act as a catalyst for Cole to seek personal redemption in his career as a police officer. This also explained why Cole refused to discuss his war experiences with his partners.
As a police officer and later detective, Phelps demonstrated himself as highly intelligent, methodical and adaptable to a range of situations. Cole is driven to keeping the streets of Los Angeles clean and safe from murder, drugs and corruption. He has a strong sense of justice and dedication to protecting the people of Los Angeles, and lacks any political agenda. Whilst interviewing both suspects and witnesses, Phelps doesn't hesitate to use coercion if he isn't provided with an adequate amount of information. For example, when Howard Parnellremained tight-lipped regarding marijuana appearing in factory sealed soup cans, Phelps threatened to have half of the LAPD tear his factory apart to get the information he required.
Cole shows himself to be well educated and intelligent throughout the game, particularly through his knowledge of literature. He recognizes a poem left by a killer as Prometheus Unbound, stating his fondness for Percy Shelley. In addition to his knowledge of Percy Shelley, Phelps seems to admire Shakespeare, as he quotes lines from Shakespeare's play, Hamlet when holding a fake shrunken head in "The Fallen Idol". Furthermore, Phelps was able to learn and speak some Japanese during his time in the Okinawa campaign.
One of Cole’s most defining personal traits are that he is very open-minded and accepting, evident by his lack of sexist or racist views. During WWII, Cole saw both sides as equals and viewed the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor as justified, openly stating that he "respects the Japanese." He earned the disapproval of some, however, by expressing his respectful, almost sympathetic, view towards the enemy.
Cole’s humility mostly derives from experience on Sugar Loaf. Having been praised and awarded for an act of cowardice, Cole held a personal disdain for his glorified image. As a result, he is modest and strongly respects his peers and colleagues, despite their flaws, though Roy Earle is probably the only exception.
It is possible that Cole, like many returning soldiers, found it difficult to relate to his wife after he got back from the war. The stress and trauma of his experiences had changed Cole, causing a strain on his marriage with Marie while making him emotionally distant, causing him to seek comfort in the romance with Elsa. Despite his adultery, he still cared for Marie and their daughters and regrets the pain that he has caused his family.
== Killed Victims ==
TBA
== Relationships ==
== Gallery ==
== Trivia ==
* Cole Phelps is one of the few Rockstar Games’ protagonists to be killed off and is considered a part of the MinneEagle channel, the others being; Jon Wallace, Sam Wallace, Arthur Morgan, John Marston, and Jack Marston.
Category:Characters
Category:Protagonists
Category:Deceased
Category:Fictional People
Category:Fathers
Category:Police Officers
Category:Criminals