Killdozer Was Real
On June 4, 2004, Marvin Heemeyer locked himself inside a homemade tank and set out on a mission of destruction in the small town of Granby, Colorado. Secure in the yellow bulldozer covered in gray plates of steel reinforced with concrete, he crashed through the walls of his own business, crushed cars, and terrorized his neighbors for over two hours.
Heemeyer rammed and smashed into and through thirteen buildings, including the town hall and local newspaper, and in the end he took his life, after causing more than $7 million in damage. He left behind a two-hour audiotape detailing his grievances behind his rage-fueled revenge tour.
To this day, Heemeyer remains a hero to some.
Killdozer makes an appearance in my second Wrongful Conviction Novel, A DREAM IN THE DARK. In the aftermath of the Marade Mayhem, Eli meets with Sister Francis and she references the Killdozer incident. Francis, a Child of Europe, asks Eli a significant question:
“Eli, have you noticed how when Black people destroy something, the media puts up some talking head to condemn your actions, but when we do the same thing, they talk about us like we’re patriots standing up for freedom, like righteous revolutionaries?”
