He gave away all his money and possessions to include his beloved snowmobiles and his home. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. He bought the two acres for $42,000 but later agreed to sell it to the Docheff family, which wanted the property for a concrete batch plant, for $250,000. I am going to sacrifice my life, my miserable future that you gave me, to show you that what you did is wrong. After learning about Marvin Heemeyers killdozer, check out some of historys most unmerciful revenge stories. In 1977, Marv Heemeyer was honorably discharged from the US Air Force, and immediately he returned to his beloved Colorado and bought a home in Denver. He was armed with several weapons, attempted to shoot at least one civilian, and fired several shots at propane tanks in an attempt to create an explosion. Marvin John Heemeyer (October 28, 1951 June 4, 2004) was an American automobile muffler repair shop owner who demolished numerous buildings with a modified bulldozer in Granby, Colorado, on June 4, 2004. Though not his original plan, he eventually built another muffler shop on his new property. Others gathered in the streets to watch the odd spectacle. Inside The Shocking Revenge Story Of Marvin Heemeyer And His Killdozer. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. And on June 4, 2004, he sealed himself inside his cockpit and set out for Granby. When his killdozer was finished, he readied himself for his attack. Despite the great damage to property, no one besides Heemeyer was killed. Father: (d. 31-Mar-2004)Brother: Ken HeemeyerBrother: Donald HeemeyerGirlfriend: (broken engagement), Road Rage Reckless Driving Shot: Self-Inflicted (4-Jun-2004) Risk Factors: Depression, Do you know something we don't? As law enforcement swarmed the Killdozer, a single gunshot rang out. [1], According to Grand County commissioner James Newberry, Grand County emergency dispatchers used the reverse 911 emergency system to notify many residents and property owners of the rampage going on in the town. The truth is his actions, even if blurred into the category of some kind of righteous civil disobedience, were hardly heroic to a lot of people in Granby. He was happy, snowmobiling with his friends, hot-tubbing at his cabin and working hard at his shop. The saying goes that there are always two sides of every story. Cool. Marvin Heemeyer, who owned a home nestled among the trees on Woodpecker Hill, befriended many, yet harbored enemies. This is largely because a reverse 911 system was used to notify residents of the killdozer so that they could get out of the way in time. Heemeyers side of the story seemed to be predominantly a creation of his own mind. [11], Heemeyer's rampage resulted in 13 buildings destroyed,[8] resulting in total damages estimated at more than $7 million. A man with a grudge built something, instantly christened a "killdozer," to tear up a town: How is he a hero? "Man who bulldozed through Colo. town is dead", "Granby Rampage Damage Expected To Exceed several Million", "Crews Begin Dismantling Granby Bulldozer", "Rampager was surprised his plans went unnoticed", "Rampages Tanks, Bulldozers, Whatever You Got! He fired dozens of rifle rounds, some aimed at law enforcement, others attempting to ignite large explosions. He could have done whatever he wanted, hung out in his hot tub and gone snowmobiling and enjoyed life. Heemeyer unsuccessfully appealed the decision, claiming the construction blocked access to his shop. Born: 1952Birthplace: Castlewood, SDDied: 4-Jun-2004Location of death: Granby, COCause of death: Suicide, Gender: MaleRace or Ethnicity: WhiteSexual orientation: StraightOccupation: Criminal, Nationality: United StatesExecutive summary: Killdozer pilot. Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile, Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile. Certain facts remain indisputable: No weapons or guns have been produced, least of all any kind of a .50 caliber weapon, and no one was hurt or injured during the 2 to 3 hour melee, save for Marvin Heemeyer, who was found dead inside of the cab of the vehicle at 20 AM Saturday morning, after SWAT and sheriff's deputies spent an hour using a cutting torch and 3 separate blasts with military . They begin with various ramblings about how he came to Granby and his past work experiences at muffler shops he formerly owned. It's not really like that at all," Brower says. In the final weeks leading up to June 2004, Heemeyer made seven recordings, totaling 2 hours and 45 minutes of audio. Again an agreement was met, but he changed his terms again, asking for $1 million. Food, water and life support[Clarification needed] were present in the almost airtight cabin. Its in Gods hands. [7], The machine used in the incident was a Komatsu D355A bulldozer[8] fitted with makeshift armor plating covering the cabin, engine and parts of the tracks. Was Marvin Heemeyer a hero? The whole ugly Friday is recounted in Brower's book, "Killdozer: The True Story of the Colorado Bulldozer Rampage," and it's the subject of a 2020 documentary, now available on Netflix, called "Tread." Connecting to the sewer would cost him an estimated $80,000, plus require him to bring the sewer line through eight feet of Mount Park Concretes property. Some time after military service, he returned to Colorado where he ran a chain of successful muffler shops in the Denver area. An anonymous friend of his stated that, If Marv was your friend, he was your best friend, but if he decided that he was your enemy, then he was your worst and most dangerous enemy.2 His rampage demonstrated this observation: one of his targets was the newspaper office, destroyed for merely printing opinions different than his on everything from legalized gambling to zoning. But the sheriff's department argues that the fact nobody got hurt was more luck than intent. At 6 feet tall and about 230 pounds, Marvin Heemeyer was, in many ways, ill-suited for the role of David. "Man Who Bulldozed Granby Says He Got Idea from God." That Marv is a hero, that the town tried to screw him, and that I'm a liar. "I was always willing to be reasonable until I had to be unreasonable", he wrote. Indeed, the rounds fired at the tractor during the rampage had no ill effect. He added armored plates, covering most of the cabin, engine, and parts of the tracks. Heemeyer's rampage concluded with his suicide, after his bulldozer became trapped in the basement of a hardware store he had been in the process of destroying. Heemeyer's brother turned the tapes over to the FBI, who in turn sent them to the Grand County Sheriff's Department. Twelve police officers and residents of a senior citizens complex were within such a range. The killdozer was surrounded, and a SWAT team fired bullet after bullet at the hull of the beast, only to see the shots ricochet off pitifully while Heemeyer, armed with a rifle, returned fire. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. ", Investigators later found Heemeyer's handwritten list of targets. Sometimes reasonable men must do unreasonable things.. The notes indicated Heemeyer held grudges over the zoning approval. The Boston Globe. Instead of building the armor plating entirely onto his bulldozer, he fashioned the top piece separately to be lifted by crane onto the bulldozer once he was inside. I think he was largely delusional. Inside the makeshift cockpit were two monitors on which Heemeyer could observe his destruction. He registered for military service in 1971. Finally, after more than a decade of bad blood between Heemeyer and the town and some of his fellow business owners, he sold his property (for about 10 times what he bought it for) and did what he felt he had to do. Using a remote controlled crane to lift the final piece of armor on, he sealed himself inside for the rest of his life. [2] According to a neighbor, Heemeyer moved to town more than ten years before the incident. Great. [3], John Bauldree, a friend of Heemeyer's, said that he was a likable person. Heemeyer had feuded with Granby town officials, particularly over fines for violating city health ordinances after he purchased property with no sewage system. Not long after settling into his new property, Heemeyer was approached by Cody Docheff with an offer of $250,000 to buy his acreage as part of the future home of Mountain Park Concrete. There were also fans and an air conditioner to keep him cool. The cameras were protected on the outside by 3-inch shields of bullet-resistant plastic. Thank you for a complete nonbias This was a part-time project over a 1 year time period." Authorities initially speculated that he may have used a homemade crane found in his garage to lower the armor hull over the dozer and himself. Governor Bill Owens allegedly considered authorizing the National Guard to use either an Apache attack helicopter equipped with a Hellfire missile or a two-man fire team equipped with a Javelin anti-tank missile to destroy the bulldozer. How can the U.S. government sue a business? However, while many people described Heemeyer as an affable person, local resident Christie Baker claimed that her husband was threatened by Heemeyer after refusing to pay for a disputed muffler repair. Marvin Heemeyer built a tank. [1], Heemeyer lived in Grand Lake, Colorado, about 16 miles (26km) away from Granby. Although no one other than Heemeyer was killed in the incident, the modified bulldozer has occasionally been referred to as the "Killdozer". It took until six o'clock the next morning for workers to make an opening; inside, they found Heemeyer's body, dead of a single gunshot to the head. "Citizens Reflect on June 4, 2004, Bulldozer Attack in Granby." And conspiracy theories abound, including that he didnt commit suicide but was executed inside his MK Tank. In these circles, Heemeyer is a martyr to their anti-government cause and a victim of petty government interference and oppression. Heemeyer then headed for town. "The Strange Story of 'Killdozer' and the Man Behind It" Without really knowing the truth.". He calls Granby a bunch of backstabbers. 2004. According to Heemeyer, the bulldozer fit through the door with just one inch of clearance another sign from God. Volume 90%. Heemeyer's homemade tank also had two gunports which he allegedly used to shoot at power transformers and propane tanks: Meanwhile, early defenders of Heemeyer contended he made a point of not hurting anybody during his bulldozer rampage. Heemeyer had moved to a town outside of Granby in the fall of 1991 and was running a muffler shop he had opened in Granby years earlier. He subsequently agreed to sell the land to Cody Docheff to build a concrete batch plant, Mountain Park Concrete, for $250,000. "It's really a mix between that and just a service town," with a couple of banks, a concrete plant, an electrical co-op and many businesses that cater to the tourism industry. [10], On June 4, 2004, Heemeyer drove his armored bulldozer through the wall of his former business, the concrete plant, the Town Hall, the office of the local newspaper that editorialized against him, the home of a former judge's widow, and a hardware store owned by another man Heemeyer named in a lawsuit, as well as others. I wrote a book! He was born in 1951 in South Dakota. Heemeyer subsequently leased a shed on his former property back from the new owner, drove his bulldozer through the door and parked it inside. It all boiled down to whether you agreed with him or not. In rampage of revenge spanning over two hours,. He feels that the entire community is against him that they had a resentment towards outsiders. On June 4, 2004, Heemeyer used the bulldozer to demolish the Granby town hall, the house of a former mayor, and several other buildings. The plan involved dispersing individual pieces to many separate scrap yards to prevent souvenir-taking.[17]. [2], One officer dropped a flash-bang grenade down the bulldozer's exhaust pipe, with no immediate apparent effect. Not realizing Heemeyers rage and determination, one of the concrete plants heavy equipment operators tried to block the road to Heemeyers escape. All told, 13 buildings and dozens of cars were decimated before Heemeyer was stopped. This sparked terror among the communitys 1500 residents. 29 July 2009. "It's just disturbing. Heemeyer also mentioned playing the lottery and the fact that he never won as a sign from God to go forward with his intentions. The story of Marvin Heemeyer and his "killdozer" is absolutely true. He saw himself as a martyr, sacrificing himself for God and his cause. It all began with a man named Marvin John Heemeyer, a typical American blue-collar fellow. Best Regards! Then, take a look at some real-life vigilante stories of ordinary citizens taking justice into their own hands. Heemeyer also destroyed patrol cars, service trucks, and at least one pickup truck. Casey Farrell, the owner of a hardware store that was destroyed by Heemeyer, said that it took him more than seven years to rebuild, and that Heemeyer's rampage took more than a financial toll on the town: First, he rammed the home of the mayor and the town hall and library. The attack lasted two hours and seven minutes, damaging thirteen buildings. Now its an appliance and mattress store with two employees. By Tape 3, Heemeyer is in full-blown rage as he continues to rant about his grievances and need for revenge. It's interesting how Ron Thompson died prematurely shortly after PDO . In 2001, the city approved the construction of a concrete plant, zoning the land next to Heemeyers for use. The destruction he caused amounted to $7 million in damages. [citation needed], Heemeyer's body was subsequently removed by police with a crane, though it took twelve hours for them to cut through the hatch with an oxyacetylene cutting torch. The sheriff's department argued the fact that no one was injured was not due to good intent as much as to good luck. Heemeyer's brother turned the tapes over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who in turn sent them to the Grand County Sheriff's Department. The rampage ended when the bulldozer got stuck in the basement of a building he had previously destroyed. He lived in Grand Lake, Colorado, but he moved to town 10 years before the incident, according to his neighbor. Bellows, Jason. [4], In 1992, Heemeyer bought 2 acres (8,100m2) of land from the Resolution Trust Corporation, the federal agency organized to handle the assets of failed savings and loan institutions. It was these circumstances that unhinged Heemeyer, causing him to drive an armored bulldozer through downtown Granby, Colorado, pulverizing several buildings before turning a gun on himself. "Sometimes reasonable men must do unreasonable things."[8]. "Somehow their vision was clouded", he wrote. According to authorities, once hed sealed himself inside the cockpit, it would have been impossible for him to have gotten out and they dont believe he ever wanted to. The attack lasted for two hours and seven minutes, damaging 13 buildings, knocking out natural gas service to city hall and the concrete plant, damaging a truck, and destroying part of a utility service center. He fired many bullets from his semi-automatic rifle at Cody Docheff when Docheff tried to stop the assault on his concrete batch plant by using a front-end loader. In the audio tapes, he states: "Because of your anger, because of your malice, because of your hate, you would not work with me. This is the shocking true story of Marvin Heemeyers revenge. Heemeyer had no intention of leaving the cabin once he entered; the hatch was permanently sealed. 0:00 / 19:00 Intro Marvin Heemeyer (Killdozer) | Mental Health & Personality Dr. Todd Grande 1.28M subscribers Subscribe 4.6K 107K views 2 years ago This video answers the questions: Can I. [12] The bulldozer also knocked out natural gas service to City Hall and the cement plant, and damaged a truck and part of a utility service center. To these gun ports, he mounted a .50 caliber and two 5.56mm rifles. And the truth, too, is that in the minds of many others who know Heemeyer only through his internet legend, the truth just doesn't matter. Gods will be done through me.. Christie Baker said that Heemeyer threatened her husband after he refused to pay for a faulty muffler repair. As Heemeyer barreled down on him, the driver tried to run, but Heemeyer slammed into his grader, easily pushing him out of the way. He installed a cooling system, cameras to allow him to see where he was going, and three gun ports. Marvin Heemeyer's 'killdozer' rampage in Colorado made headline news. A few years earlier, he had purchased a bulldozer with the intention of using it to create an alternative route to his muffler shop. Over the cameras he installed three inch thick bulletproof Lexan complete with air jets to blow away any debris that might obstruct his view. He was subsequently fined $2,500 for not having a septic tank on the property his muffler shop occupied. He was known by the town for fighting civil issues such as a failed proposal to bring gambling to Grand Lake, Colorado (where he lived) in 1994. Definitely, what a great blog and revealing posts, I definitely will bookmark your site. Heemeyer initially agreed to sell the land to the Docheff family, but then backed out of the deal out after asking for more: The story of the batch plant also goes back to 1992, three years after Heemeyer had moved to the area. I dont know how to put it into words, really.. It all depends on who you ask. In the early 1990s, he moved into Grand Lake, Colorado, bought a few acres of land for $42,000 in 1992,. Heemeyer appealed the decisions unsuccessfully. When Marvin John Heemeyer was born on 28 October 1951, in Castlewood, Hamlin, South Dakota, United States, his father, John Harm Heemeyer, was 27 and his mother, Augusta Mulder, was 30. Heemeyer had been feuding with Granby officials, particularly over fines for violating city ordinances and a zoning dispute regarding a concrete factory constructed opposite to his muffler shop that had caused his business to fail. Required fields are marked *. [5], Later, Heemeyer fired on two state patrol officers before they had fired at him. Marvin Heemeyer's net worth was around $2 million. 6 June 2014. First, he flattened a couple buildings at a close-by concrete batch plant that he had complained about to the town council. [3], John Bauldree, a friend of Heemeyer, said that Heemeyer was an enjoyable person. Such a panic ensued that the governor considered authorizing the National Guard to attack with Apache helicopters and an anti-tank missile. The Denver Channel. Heemeyer's brother Ken stated that he "would bend over backwards for anyone". At times he fancied himself as wealthy, and other times as poor because of missed income due to being mistreated. Many if not all of Heemeyers grievances with people centered around money. [4] Baker said her husband later paid Heemeyer $124 via an intermediary. Later, Heemeyer fired on two state troopers before they had fired at him. The first recording was made on April 13, 2004. Heemeyer had leased his business to a trash company and sold the property several months before the rampage. Police used a series of explosive charges to pierce the killdozer's armor, to no avail. [citation needed], On April 19, 2005, it was announced that Heemeyer's bulldozer was being taken apart for scrap metal. God has asked me to do this. Later, Heemeyer fired on two state troopers before they had fired. [citation needed], Defenders of Heemeyer contended that he made a point of not hurting anybody during his bulldozer rampage;[1] Ian Daugherty, a bakery owner, said Heemeyer "went out of his way" not to harm anyone. or its 1974 film adaptation, or if this is independent coinage. Your email address will not be published. "Had they not meddled in my business," Heemeyer pronounced in his pre-rampage manifesto, "this whole thing would have turned out completely different.". As the armor covered much of the cabin, a video camera was mounted on the exterior for visibility, covered by three-inch bulletproof plastic. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. A destroyed truck was stuck inside the Mountain Parks Electric building after Marvin Heemeyers rampage. "I was always willing to be reasonable until I had to be unreasonable", Heemeyer wrote. Its difficult to find educated people about this topic, but you seem like you know what youre talking about! About 1991 or 92, he moved near Granby, Colorado where he purchased two acres of land for $42,000. Just flat out wrong. While some described him as cheerful, polite, and a wonderful man, others had a much different opinion of Heemeyer remembering him as argumentative, antagonistic, and combative. And another thing you should learn:When you visit evil upon someone, be assured it will revisit you. A tank, complete with thick steel-plated walls to ward off attackers and a couple of guns to inflict some harm. Again, thankfully, he was unsuccessful in this endeavor. He joined the Air Force in 1971, during which time he had his first introduction to the state of Colorado while stationed there. He took it as a sign from God that his bulldozer didnt sell. Heemeyer wasn't willing to pay a good deal of money to tie into the existing sewer line, and the problems that caused with the town government bloomed into a multiyear disagreement. Your email address will not be published. Nothing worked. About this time, Heemeyer began having religious delusions that God was preparing him for a mission. He endangered the lives of the police officers, destroyed several emergency vehicles, and could have killed several innocent civilians if it wasn't for the actions of law enforcement who managed to evacuate buildings before they were destroyed. Local and state patrol, including a SWAT team, walked behind and beside the bulldozer, occasionally firing, but the armored bulldozer was impervious to their shots. He died on 4 June 2004, in Granby, Grand, Colorado, United States, at the age of 52. Marv Heemeyer took all that money he made on the sale of his property and the welding skills he had honed over a lifetime and, surreptitiously over the course of more than a year, built himself a tank on a bulldozer body. And then, with what seemed to be a clear plan, he got even with others on his list. He attempted to tell events chronologically leading up to 2004, but he often jumped around in his storytelling as he remembered or failed to remember key events of his tale. Take on what happen and why. It's a cross that I am going to carry and I'm carrying it in God's name.". Tread: Directed by Paul Solet. However, some of Heemeyer's other victims are harder to justify. Heemeyerspent more than a year building his "killdozer" and planning his attack on the town of Granby, an act he felt was in accordance with God's will: "God blessed me in advance for the task that I am about to undertake. Since then, members of the State Patrol revealed that to the contrary, the governor did consider authorizing an attack but ultimately decided against it due to the potential for collateral damage of a missile strike in the heart of Granby being significantly higher than what Heemeyer could have caused with his bulldozer.
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