

Death of a Demagogue, Pt. 3
33 snips Oct 2, 2025
Molly dives into the dramatic events surrounding George Lincoln Rockwell's assassination. She highlights conflicting accounts of the shooting and the mysterious figure of John Patler as the accused shooter. Legal battles ensue as circumstantial evidence shapes the trial's outcome. Fascinating conspiracy theories emerge, tying Rockwell's death to party infighting and external threats. Patler's intriguing post-conviction life raises eyebrows, particularly a bizarre 1976 arrest. This episode uncovers a tangled web of motives and intrigue in a historical tragedy.
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50th Anniversary Parking Lot Memorial
- On August 25, 2017, a small group of aging neo-Nazis held a wreath and an 88-second salute at the Arlington parking lot where Rockwell died.
- Martin Kerr, who joined after reading Rockwell in Playboy, led the tiny memorial and kept Rockwell's ashes in an urn.
Rockwell's Final Hours
- On the last day of his life Rockwell ran errands and went to a laundromat while party members planned a D.C. stunt to hand out White Power newspapers.
- He was shot through his windshield, crawled out, and bled to death as his car rolled away and his laundry sat in the washer.
Contested Attribution Of The Murder
- Multiple sources and the host conclude John Patler was the shooter despite competing theories.
- The case remains contested within neo-Nazi circles, producing enduring alternative narratives.