Shortly after the Vending Machine incident, the duo commited the following Bank Robberies: The duo were then involved in the deadliest shootout in FBI history, trying to evade eight FBI agents who caught them driving Collazo's Monte Carlo in a stakeout and, after having them cornered in a driveway, proceeded to have a four minute gun battle with them where both Platt and Matix were killed, along with two other FBI agents and many others injured. During the gun battle which ensued, Platt in particular was able to repeatedly return fire despite sustaining multiple hits. Please try again later. After graduating high school, Matix enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 1969 and served for three years, attaining the position of an E-5 Sergant while working in a bakery. Platt then entered the Grogan/Dove car in an apparent attempt to flee the scene. The incident is infamous in FBI history and is well-studied in law enforcement circles. [9] At the time of Platt's killing, his second wife, Brenda, claimed to have had no idea that her husband and his friend were armed robbers. 0 cemeteries found in Eaton, Preble County, Ohio, USA. The pinball rage and pinball owner robbery scenes were invented for the movie to space out the robberies so the audience could be introduced to Grogan and Dove. memorial page for William Russell Matix (25 Jun 1951-11 Apr 1986), Find a Grave Memorial ID 24545250, citing Mound Hill Cemetery, Eaton . Similar to Patricia, Regina was found dead under suspicious conditions on December 21, 1984, having shot herself in her bed. Platt and Matix' first known foray into crime began in early 1985 where a Nebraskan man named Earle "Tad" Burnett, who at the time operated a mail order Vending Machine business, sold ten vending machines to Platt and Matix for $10,000, who told Burnett that they were in with the "local boys" and other criminal elements, which was ignored. A check of the records showed it was registered in Mr. Matix's name. ''Mike was a big, healthy guy,'' said Tim Platt, who worked with his brother and Bill Matix in a landscaping business until the two others set up their own business, the Yankee Clipper. Wick said Mrs. Platt told him she had an affair with Matix because her husband told her to. Spooked, they lie low for two months. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Mireles, 33, whose left arm was shattered by a assault rifle blast and who suffered a slashed artery in his forehead, spoke briefly to reporters, but only to express his thanks to colleagues, medical workers and those who had written to him to express support. [1], The initial collision that forced the suspects off the road caused some unforeseen problems for the agents, as the FBI vehicles sustained damage from the heavier, older car driven by Matix. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. If you are going to edit a lot, then make yourself a user and login. Steal as much money as possible from banks.Kill as many FBI Agents as possible.Escape (all failed). On thier way back, they consider robbing drug dealers but reject the idea because "they're greasers now and they got all kindsa weapons." Two Special Agents died from their wounds, while five other agents were injured by gunfire. [12][13], Toxicology tests showed that the abilities of Platt and Matix to fight through multiple traumatic gunshot wounds and continue to battle and attempt to escape were not achieved through any chemical means. [14], In the aftermath, the FBI initially chose the S&W Model 1076 chambered for the 10mm Auto round, but its sharp recoil proved too much for most agents to control effectively, and a special reduced velocity loading was developed; commonly referred to as the "10mm Lite" or "10mm FBI". (Left: A placard in Miami honors Special Agents Jerry Dove and Benjamin Grogan.) They are two of the most infamous criminals in FBI history; being the perpetrators of a shootout that led to the death of two FBI agents and wounded five others in what is still . [citation needed], Before embarking on their crime spree, neither Platt nor Matix had a criminal record. [17], Dove, a West Virginia native, had Jerry Dove Drive named after him in Clarksburg, West Virginia, where the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division is located. Oops, something didn't work. ''Everyone thought he was a real nice guy till now,'' said Capt. [1], Both men's former wives had died under violent circumstances. $8,338 was stolen. Thieves tracked keystrokes on two million infected computers to steal users' information. Sign on bonus and relocation available. They will end up doing precisely what you demand, and this power should be used ethically since people can make others do crazy . They were acting on a hunch that the pair would attempt a robbery that morning. After Platt crawled out the window and was rolling off the front hood of the Cutlass, Dr. Anderson believes he was hit twice more. A civilian followed them from the scene and witnessed them switch to a white Ford F-150 pickup truck but lost contact thereafter. USA, c. 1984 At the time of their deaths Platt and Matix had a landscaping and tree removal and servicing business called The Yankee Clipper , and had met served together in the US Army at Fort Campbell, KY. Erego, all is known is available in the summary of the FBI's official papers on Platt; Platt was in the US Army from 1972 to 1979, first serving as an infantryman but later becoming a platoon leader at the end of his career. Despite this, to prevent him from identifying them as suspects, they gun him down and leave him for dead but Collazo manages to survive and give the FBI a better description of them. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. William Matix Type of Villains Failed to remove flower. MurderArmoured car robberyAssault of federal agents Murder of federal agents Bank robberyVehicle identity theftVandalismImpersonating a CIA agentEndangering a minor (nearly shot a baby)Rape (Matix)Assault [g] As Platt entered Grogan and Dove's car, Mireles, able to use only one arm, fired the first of five rounds from his pump-action shotgun, wounding Platt in both feet. Mireles fired six rounds at the suspects. The shots were believed to have been fired by Dove. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Matix served in the Marine Corps from 1969-1972 and was honorably discharged. He was released from a hospital Thursday to the cheers of nurses and lab technicians. Special Agent Gilbert Orrantia (a 4-year veteran), with Special Agent Ronald Risner (an 18-year veteran). Michael Le (@justmaiko) Official TikTok | Watch Michael Le`s Newest TikTok Videos justmaiko Michael Le Follow 291 Following 52. [1], Of the eight agents at the scene, two had Remington 870 shotguns in their vehicles (McNeill and Mireles), three were armed with Smith & Wesson Model 459 9mm semi-automatic pistols (Dove, Grogan, and Risner), and the rest (six) were armed with Smith & Wesson revolvers; two had .357 Magnums and five had .38 Specials. ''No one who knew them can make any sense of it.''. Other than that, enjoy Villains Wiki!!! Platt was the aggressor while Matix tried to play the calm guy in a "good cop bad cop" routine. since the shootout last Friday can shed any light. Although all crimes seem to be comitted by the same group, they can't hunt them down. They married after his discharge and moved frequently across the mid-Atlantic including Takoma Park, Maryland, Hyde Park, New York, and finally Columbus, Ohio. 'No One Can Make Any Sense of It', ''I can ask myself questions a million times for the rest of my life and I don't think I'll ever be able to get to the bottom of it,'' said Tim Platt, the 28-year-old brother of Michael, who was 32. However, the details of their interactions are unknown. At the time of their deaths Platt and Matix had a landscaping and tree removal and servicing business called The Yankee Clipper, and had met served together in the US Army at Fort Campbell . Hanlon fired at Platt and was shot in the hand while reloading. [b] McNeill was then shot in the hand and, due to his wound and blood in his revolver's chambers, could not reload. [8] He married his second wife, Brenda Horne, in January 1985. 1988 Smith & Wesson Smith & Weasson Model 4506 .45 ACP Stainless steel DA/SA (Double action/Single action) . Although Platt is then able to temporarily paralyse McNeil, he is shot twice in the stomach and shoulder by Grogan and seemingly killed. Partners in Crime William Russell Matix (Left) and Michael Lee Platt (Right) photo id's courtesy of the Department of Motor Vehicles for Miami-Dade County, FL. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. FBI agents were leading a massive manhunt for two violent bank robberslater identified as William Russell Matix and Michael Lee Platt who were known for using high-powered firearms and stolen cars. You can then proclaim to be an expert on Michael Lee ..self help. Matix first served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1969 to 1972, working as a cook in the officers' mess, and was later honorably discharged after reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant. Three Bureau cars collided with the suspects and forced them off the road, but the felons opened fire. The drivers side door had been damaged during the collision. The events unfolded quickly and horrifically. Instead, they ambush a teller outside a gas station and try to get her to open the external vault. Anyone can read what you share. I thought you might like to see a memorial for William Russell Matix I found on Findagrave.com. [h], Around this time, Metro-Dade police officers Rick Frye, Leonard Figueroa and Martin Heckman arrived. The two robbery suspects, both with military experience, William Russell Matix and Michael Lee Platt, were also killed. The fact that people like this exist in the world is the reason most police officers are never unarmed, even off duty. A Question of Suicide. Family members linked to this person will appear here. He initially looked at the Super .38 (which came about in 1929 using the.38 Automatic but increasing the propellant to [] Mr. Matix entered the Marine Corps after high school in Ohio, served two tours before becoming a civilian again, then after six months enlisted in the Army. William Matix and Michael Platt are first seen on October 4th 1985, pulling up in a quarry near 55 year old Emilio Briel under the pretense of hunting ducks. Learn more about managing a memorial . Heckman covered McNeill's paralyzed body with his own. [1]:30 The guard survived the shooting, but was left with over 100 shotgun pellets in his body. An official website of the United States government. However, he was active in See more on reallifevillains.miraheze.org Mike Harris is correct as far as it goes from a police perspective. They then decided to find a lawyer to sue Burnett for defamation and slander, eventually going across the street to a nearby attorney's office, who said that Burnett's kidnapping claim was to get the two arrested and unable to collect the money from Burnett that was theirs. Thanks for your help! We would like you to leisurely go through this article on William Russell Matix And Michael Lee Platt to get the real impact of the article. Agent Gorgon McNeil. [12] Just prior to ramming the Monte Carlo, Manauzzi had pulled out his service revolver and placed it on the seat in anticipation of a shootout,[12] but the force of the collision flung open his door, and according to reports, his weapon either went flying out the door or was thrown to the floor. A search of Mr. Matix's house turned up a .38-caliber pistol and a .22-caliber rifle owned by Jose Collazo. On April 11, Matix and Platt died on a suburban Miami street in the bloodiest shootout in FBI history, leaving two agents dead and another five wounded. of [father unknown] and [mother unknown] [sibling(s) unknown] Bill (Matix)Willy (Matix)Mike (Platt) A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. This wound caused Platt to drop his revolver. Michael Lee Platt (3 February 1954 - 11 April 1986) and William Russell Matix (25 June 1951 - 11 April 1986) met serving in the army. [citation needed], Other issues were brought up in the aftermath of the shooting. "[16], In 2001, the Village of Pinecrest, Florida, which incorporated in 1996, honored the two fallen agents by co-designating a portion of Southwest 82nd Avenue as Agent Benjamin Grogan Avenue and Agent Jerry Dove Avenue. 25 Feb/23. [12], After the shooting, the families of Jerry Dove and Benjamin Grogan sued the estates of Platt and Matix under the RICO statute for damages. Both were seriously wounded. One round hit McNeill in the neck, causing him to collapse and leaving him paralyzed for several hours. In an interview published Thursday, attorney Daniel A. Wick told The Miami Herald that Mrs. Platt was afraid of her husband. spotted them in Kendall, a suburb south of Miami. It should be noted that although tactical mistakes were made by the FBI agents, the real blame lies with the underpowered 9mm Parabellum cartridges loaded with 147 grain bullets which were standard FBI issue at . /a. Hi. The two robbery suspects, William Russell Matix and Michael Lee Platt were also killed. Platt also shot and incapacitated Agent Hanlon. If you want to see the face of evil do some research on Michael Lee Platt and William Russell Matix. While in Miami, Matix bought a 1/4 stake in Blade Cutters, a landscaping business owned by Platt's brother, Tim. Reddit - Dive into anything. He kept active playing table tennis, badminton and in pickup games of basketball, the brother said. The first floor contains a memorial to Dove and Grogan. Robbing armoured cars and banks. at The Gun Zone, Agents Dove and Grogan Avenue, Pinecrest, FL, National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, Child Abduction and Serial Murder Investigative Resources Center, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, Computer and Internet Protocol Address Verifier, Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1986_FBI_Miami_shootout&oldid=1138056305, Law enforcement operations in the United States, Articles needing additional references from April 2018, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2021, Articles needing additional references from April 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Supervisory Special Agent Gordon McNeill (a 20-year veteran), Special Agent Richard Manauzzi (a 15-year veteran), Special Agent Benjamin Grogan (a 25-year veteran), with Special Agent Jerry Dove (a 4-year veteran). Learn more about merges. [j] However, it is known for certain that Platt pulled Matix's Dan Wesson revolver at some point and fired three rounds. The wound was not serious. A little history in the 10mm Auto. However, for the next minute, it is believed that Matix slumped over onto his back and lay unconscious on the front seat of the Monte Carlo. Don't miss out on this information of michael lee platt and william russell matix self help. FBI Director William Webster called Mireles a real hero in the shootout after hearing of how the badly wounded agent managed to get close enough to Platt and Matix to kill them as they tried to make their getaway. The pair stole Briel's car and used it to commit several robberies. Although he refuses it, his wife Carol-Ann confronts him about the information but he silences her with thinly veiled threats so she leaves him out of fear. A rolling stone gathers no moss. Like Matix, Platt was considered a suspect yet not enough evidence was found to convict him. A pursuit initiates with 14 Agents joining the chase. With Ronny Cox, Bruce Greenwood, Michael Gross, Doug Sheehan. He earned degrees from both West Virginia University and Marshall University. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Unlike Matix' military service which is well documented with the help of official documents provided by the military under the Freedom of Information Act, Platt's are unavailable. [d], Platt chose a position by the passenger side front fender of the Cutlass. Ed Mireles. To prevent Platt from running over the injured agents, Special Agent Mireles advances on the Monte Carlo despite being injured himself and empties his .357 revolver into the two criminals. Literally dying from their injuries, they critically wounded several agents . Despite this, the case never went to court. Shortly after, Matix collected a 350,000 dollar insurance policy on his wife and, at the urging of Platt moved to Miami, Florida, where he began active in the local church professing to be a "Born Again" Christian, meeting several women and entering short-lived relationships with them as a result. Read more on the Wikipedia page here. Despite being on the lookout for two violent felons who were known to use firearms during their crimes, only two of the FBI vehicles contained shotguns (in addition to Mireles, McNeill had a shotgun in his car, but was unable to reach it before or during the shootout), and none of the agents were armed with a rifle. The six-year FBI veteran refused to answer any questions. by fruit of the loom mandela effect explained. Mireles drew his .357 Magnum revolver, moved parallel to the street and then directly toward Platt and Matix. [citation needed], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}253924.55N 801934.75W / 25.6568194N 80.3263194W / 25.6568194; -80.3263194. Honor, duty, and sacrifice. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. For a year or more, William R. Matix and Michael Lee Platt slipped undetected between dual worlds of light and shadow. Similarly, detectives in Miami are reopening the inquiry into the death of Mr. Platt's first wife, who died of a shotgun wound to the head in December 1984. Severely wounded and struggling to remain conscious, Special Agent Mireles stood up and began firing at the criminals as they entered and tried to escape in Dove and Grogans car. While in basic training, Platt applied for Army Airborne Ranger Training and subsequently entered Air Assault School at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Platts specific actions at this stage of the gunfight have been subject to controversy. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. [1], They resumed their robberies on January 10, 1986, by attacking a Brinks Armored Car Company courier as he opened the back door of his truck at Barnett Bank in Miami. produced more evidence Wednesday to tie Mr. Matix and Mr. Platt to a series of armored car robberies and the shootings of men in an abandoned rock quarry that was often used for target practice. Door de site te gebruiken accepteer je het gebruik van deze cookies. In the movie, they explicitly don't have a third man during the Barnett Bank robbery and whether they had one during the Winn-Dixie robbery is unknown since it was only mentioned in the film. Mr. Matix held a black belt in karate, according to Mr. Culver. agent reached around and at close range emptied his .38-caliber pistol into both men. However, they then murder him and steal his car for use in thier armed robberies. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Matix first served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1969 to 1972, working as a cook (MOS 3371) in the officers' mess, serving in Hawaii and Okinawa from April 1970 to March 1971 and April 1971 to March 1972 respectively. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. The F.B.I. One investigator calls William Russell Matix and Michael Lee Platt a modern version of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Please reset your password. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Columbus, Ohio, detectives also have said they now consider Platt a suspect in the December 1983 stabbing deaths of Matix's first . The shootout ended when both Matix and Platt were killed by Special Agent Ed Mireles. This account has been disabled. ''I know how much in love they were, how much Bill loved his baby and how devastating the murder was to him,'' the Rev. Burnett told the two that he would get the money for them once the banks opened later that day, but in the meantime they could get breakfast at Kuhl's Restaurant in Lincoln, Nebraska (a frequent spot for the police, unbeknownst to Platt and Matix). You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. While eating breakfast, Burnett spotted some policemen and ran to them, screaming that Platt and Matix were trying to kill him. The death of Regina Platt on Christmas Eve 1984 was considered a suicide. [citation needed] On October 10, 1985, five days after killing Briel, Platt and Matix attempted to rob a Wells Fargo armored truck that was servicing a Winn-Dixie supermarket. ''All I can surmise is that when he got down to Miami things started to fall apart,'' Mr. Culver said. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. [11], On March 12, they robbed and shot Jose Collazo as he was target shooting at a rock pit in the Florida Everglades, leaving him for dead and stealing his black Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Officials have reopened their investigation since her husband, Michael Lee Platt, and William Matix died along with two FBI agents in the shootout April 11, the bloodiest day in the agencys history. Matix attended Meat Cutting School and Aviation Mechanics Training while Buckanich worked as a lab assistant at the Riverside Methodist Hospital. Miami Special Agents Benjamin Grogan and Jerry Dovetwo of the eight agents ultimately directly involved in the firefight (see sidebar below) who were riding together in one of the five pursuing Bureau carsnoticed a stolen, black Monte Carlo connected to the two robbers and began following it. Special Agent Manauzzi was seriously wounded and immediately sought cover. [6][7], On December 21, 1984, Platt's wife, Regina, whom he had married nine years earlier in 1975, was found dead from a single shotgun blast to the mouth. In Columbus, Ohio, homicide detectives are taking a fresh look at the 1983 murders of Mr. Matix's first wife, Patty, and one of her co-workers at a hospital where they were laboratory assistants. He was viewed as a model soldier, with one of his commanding officers even going so far as noting in his evaluation report: "If it was in my power then I would like to promote this man immediately. Try again later. Appeared to be bullets striking the pavement same armored guard as robbery a photo. SHOOTOUT IN MIAMI UNCOVERED 2 OLD ARMY BUDDIES' LINKS TO VIOLENT CRIME, https://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/18/us/shootout-in-miami-uncovered-2-old-army-buddies-links-to-violent-crime.html, Jon Nordheimer, Special To the New York Times. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Welcome to Autopsyfiles.org - Home Page - Autopsy Reports of . A college graduate with a major in biochemistry, she also served in the Army, according to Mr. Culver. Although dying, he manages to advance on Grogan and Dove; executing the both of them at point blank range before making his way back to the Monte Carlo with Matix. And three was that: Youll be gone by Christmastime, he said. The inquiry in Miami, which has linked Mr. Matix and Mr. Platt to at least five slayings, still does not shake some people's belief that Mr. Matix was not capable of killing his wife. [12] At an unknown time, Matix had regained consciousness and he joined Platt in the car, entering via the passenger door. David Culver, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, said in a telephone interview. The minister said he still believed Mr. Matix lost his bearings after leaving Ohio with his insurance money in mid-1984 to begin a new life with his Army friend, Mike Platt. On March 12th, Platt and Matix ambush Jose Collazo whilst he is out pigeon shooting and pretend to be hunters like him but hold him at gunpoint and get the keys to his black Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The pursuit eventually terminates on 12201 Southwest 82nd Avenue when Platt loses control of the Monte Carlo and hits a tree whereupon he is pinned in by the agents. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Mireles first shot at Platt hit the back of the front seat behind Platts left shoulder. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The bullet, fired by Orrantia's revolver, penetrated Platt's right forearm, fractured the radius bone and exited the forearm. Try again later. In reality, they were cold hearted sadistic psychopaths willing to murder police to get away and possibly murder thier own wives in fits of rage. He was honorably discharged July 7, 1972, achieving the rank of Sergeant. Both were preoccupied with getting Dove's weapon working and did not detect that Platt was aggressively advancing upon them.