Michael Lee Platt and William Russell Matix: Difference between revisions

'''Michael Lee Platt '''and '''William Russell Matix''' were two former military veterans-turned serial bank robbers who were involved in the deadliest shotoout in FBI history on April 11, 1986, where two agents were killed and five were wounded.

William Russell Matix was born on June 25, 1951 in Lewisburg, Ohio. Matix had a severe stuttering problem which wouldn't be corrected until his enlistment in the army later in life, and was called cruel names by his classmates such as "Wah wah Willy". However, he was active in his school's FFA Club and presented himself with a kind, quiet, and courteous demeanor. 

Michael Lee Platt was born on February 3, 1954 in San Diego, California. His father was a naval Corpsman and had to frequently move as the job demanded, moving to Pearl Harbor, Alameda, and finally Yuma, Arizona, where he was an accomplished football, basketball, and baseball player in high school. 

In the afternoon of December 30, 1983, an unknown assailant broke into the labratory and murdered Buckanich and a coworker with a knife, before stealing Buckanich's wedding ring and $20 in cash. Matix was a suspect in the case, but no proof could be brought against him. 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. While in Miami, Matix bought a 1/4 stake in Blade Cutters, a landscaping business owned by Platt's brother, Tim. He worked there until 1985, where he was terminated due to personality differences, opening up a landscaping business with Platt, "Yankee Clipper", as a result.

'''''*Robbery A, October 9, 1985 '''''- Platt and Matix ''(with possibly a third was a getway driver, speculated to have been an employee of Yankee Clipper) ''robbed a Loomis Armored car at a Steak & Ale restaurant in the 9000 block of 97th Avenue, Miami. Platt and Matix took a bag with profits worth $2,800 from a guard shortly before forcing him to open the back of the truck up, which contained over $400,000. However, the driver took off before the back of the truck could be opened, leaving the three with only the contents of the bag. ''(It should be worth nothing that, unlike the other robberies on the list, they made their getaway in a dark grey car with tinted windows, license plate DMX-388).''

'''''*Robbery B, October 10, 1985''''' - Platt and Matix'' (with possibly a third as a getaway driver, see above) ''pulled up to a Wells Fargo armored car parked in front of a Winn Dixie at 7930 SW 104th St. in Miami. Despite shooting the guard, they made out with nothing.

'''''*Robbery C, October 17, 1985''''' - Platt and Matix were involved in the robbery of a Loomis Armored car at 11641 Sw 88th St in Miami. As Platt and Matix ordered him to hand over the money in the back of the truck, the guard opened fire, prompting Platt and Matix to flee. He was the same armored guard as Robbery A.

'''''*Robbery Da, November 8, 1985''''' - Platt and Matix drove up to a teller station at the Florida National Bank of 14801 South Dixie Highway and approched a teller and a guard from behind, telling them to open the door to the teller station. When the door couldn't open the door, Platt and Matix stole the teller's bag, containing $10,000 and made their getaway. ''(Much like robbery A, they made their getaway in a vehicle not listed below, a black 1983 Chrysler New Yorker)''.

'''''*Robbery Db, November 8, 1985''''' - Platt and Matix entered the Professional Savings Bank at 13100 South Dixie Highway in Miami, wielding rifles and demanding the money that Wells Fargo recently dropped off, stealing $41,469 altogether.

'''''*Robbery E, January 10, 1986''''' - Platt and Matix shot a Brinks armored car guard as he was opening the door of his truck at the Barnett Bank of 13593 South Dixie Highway. They escaped with $54,000 and made their escape in a 1977 Monte Carlo ''(more below)'', before switching to Matix' white Ford pickup, as seen by a witness who followed them from the bank to the switch point.

'''''*Robbery F, March 19, 1986''''' - Platt and Matix entered the same Barnett Bank from Robbery C and made off with $8,338.

 

'''''*March 12, 1986''''' - Platt and Matix shot Jose Collazo who was target shooting at the same rock pit as Briel was killed, stealing his black 1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo to be used in robbery D and the shootout. Miraculously, Collazo survived the shooting and lived to make a composite sketch of Platt and Matix.