Marvin Heemeyer
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Marvin John Heemeyer (1952 – June 4, 2004) was a skilled welder and owner of an automobile muffler-shop. On June 4, 2004, he destroyed a significant portion of Granby, Colorado, a small town in the U.S..
Heemeyer was born in South Dakota. He had disputes with various officials and individuals in Granby, particularly involving a zoning dispute which allowed a concrete factory to be constructed opposite his muffler shop, severely hindering him from operating his business.
Some Americans now consider Marvin Heemeyer an American hero, believing that he sacrificed himself to promote American values, expose tyranny, and fight corruption, following the path of the American founding fathers.
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Background information
Described by local people as very intelligent and an expert at welding, Heemeyer constructed an improvised 85-ton tank by welding two layers of steel armor sandwiched with concrete onto a 53-ton Komatsu D335A bulldozer (which was initially identified as a Caterpillar D9). His creation has been nicknamed "Killdozer".
He had purchased the bulldozer to construct an alternate route to his muffler shop. This was because the concrete plant blocked the original road to his shop. However, city officials refused to grant him permission.
Other factors were also hindering his business.
The concrete plant often left large quantities of dust on Marvin's property, and cut him off from the city sewer line. When Heemeyer requested to extend a sewer line across eight feet of the plant's property, he was denied. Not being connected to the city sewer line resulted in a $2500 fine that Marvin had to pay.
As a last measure, Marvin petitioned the city with his neighbors and friends, but to no avail.
Faced with the failure of his business in spite of his efforts, Heemeyer was forced to sell the property. He was given six months to leave, and it was during this time that he constructed the Killdozer.
Corruption In Granby?
During the years that Heemeyer fought to for the solvency of his business, many accused Granby officials of corruption. First of all, Granby officials rezoned the concrete factory owned by Mountain Park Concrete from commercial to heavy industrial, and allowed the plant to be built so it obstructed the view of Marvin's shop from the road. Some believe that this violates rezoning regulations.Template:Fact
In additional, the concrete plant refused to allow easement of eight feet of property for the extension of a sewer line that the city required. All of these factors smothered out Heemeyer's business and he was forced to sell the property to a garbage company.Template:Fact
Family and friends
Marvin was described as an obedient, honest, and loving man. However, prior to his rampage, his family life was also falling apart: his father had just died, and he was forced to auction his house. When about to get married, Heemeyer found out that his girlfriend had cheated on him.
The rampage
On June 4, 2004, he drove his Killdozer through the wall of his former business, and tore down the concrete plant that had ruined his business. He then proceeded to destroy many other buildings, including the City Hall.
Some witnesses say Heemeyer made calculated movements with the bulldozer to avoid injuring anyone. In spite of Heemeyer's caution, over forty deputies and police officers were unable to stop him. A SWAT team was called in, but they too failed to halt the vehicle.
The local police force claim that Heemeyer had been actively shooting at the people who had wronged him, but the bullet holes could also have been made by the police themselves when their own bullets ricocheted off the armored bulldozer.
Heemeyer committed suicide after the radiator on his machine failed. He was 52 years old.
It took the police hours to penetrate the stalled tank (which was still impervious to gunfire) and remove Heemeyer's body.
Although a number of rumors reported that Heemeyer was terminally ill at the time of his rampage, an autopsy revealed that he was in good health other than an abnormally large heart[1].
Marvin's legacy
Some believe Heemeyer's actions embody traditional American outlaw values, calling Heemeyer a modern-day Billy the Kid or Ned Kelly: Outraged by what he saw as his town's blatant corruption, he took a stand, and died a martyr. To those people, his defiance of unjust authority and his noble sacrifice earned him some respect reminscent of contemporary views of the Boston Tea Party.