Trooper Leslie Lord was born on December 10, 1951 in Weymouth, Massachusetts. His family moved to Pittsburg, New Hampshire, where Trooper Lord graduated from high school in 1971. While in high school he was one of the first cadets with the New Hampshire State Police Cadet Program. As a teenager he also volunteered as a dispatcher for Troop F.

Trooper Lord was very active in the Pittsburg community as he loved to snowmobile and acted as Head Trailmaster for the Northern Corridor. Trooper Lord worked with the town's Water Department, their ambulance service, Fire Department, and Police Department. Trooper Lord went on to serve his community as a Chief for both the Fire Department and the Police Department. He served as the Chief of Police from 1975 until 1987, when he took a position with the New Hampshire Department of Safety as a member of the Bureau of Highway Enforcement. He served as an enforcement officer until the agency was merged with the New Hampshire State Police on October 1, 1996, when he became a Trooper.

On August 19, 1997, Trooper Scott Phillips attempted to stop a vehicle in Colebrook for having too much rust. As Trooper Phillips pulled in behind the vehicle in the parking lot of LaPerle's IGA, the driver exited his truck and opened fire on Trooper Phillips with an automatic rifle. Although Trooper Phillips was wounded in the hand he returned fire, but was unable to wound the suspect, who was wearing a bullet proof vest. Trooper Lord responded to assist Trooper Phillips with the stop, not knowing about the shootout that was ongoing. As Trooper Lord pulled into the parking lot, the suspect opened fire on Trooper Lord, killing him instantly. The suspect returned to Trooper Phillips and shot him four times, execution style, killing him. The suspect stole Trooper Phillips' cruiser and drove into town where he killed Vickie Bunnell, a former town selectman and part-time judge, whom the suspect held a grudge against. The suspect also shot and killed newspaper editor Dennis Joos who was attempting to disarm him. The suspect drove to Vermont where he shot a Conservation Officer of the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game. The bullet ricocheted off of the officer's badge, saving his life. The suspect staged an ambush where he injured three more police officers, before he was finally mortally wounded.

At the time of his death Trooper Lord had served with the State Police for 11 months and was only 45 years old. He was survived by his wife and two sons.