387: The Beatle Bandit w/ Nate Hendley

On July 24, 1964, twenty-four-year-old Matthew Kerry Smith disguised himself with a mask and a Beatle wig, hoisted a semi-automatic rifle, then held up a bank in North York, Ontario. The intelligent but troubled son of a businessman and mentally ill mother, Smith was a navy veteran with a young Indigenous wife and a hazy plan for violent revolution.

Outside the bank, Smith was confronted by Jack Blanc, a former member of the Canadian and Israeli armies, who brandished a revolver. During a wild shootout, Blanc was killed, and Smith escaped ― only to become the object of the largest manhunt in the history of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force.

My guest is journalist and author Nate Hendley. He joins me to talk about his book, The Beatle Bandit: A Serial Bank Robber's Deadly Heist, a Cross-Country Manhunt, and the Insanity Plea that Shook the Nation.

More about the author and his books on his website: https://natehendley.ca/

The author has included these links for those interested in purchasing The Beatle Bandit:

Amazon.ca: https://amzn.to/3KQZ90P

Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/3Bh5HCF

Apple Books: https://tinyurl.com/3xkb7w5t

Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/6h2p7epz

Walmart: https://tinyurl.com/4bdksr8h

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices