271: The Great Mars Hill Robbery | USA
Evidence Locker True Crime PodcastNovember 08, 202600:19:05

271: The Great Mars Hill Robbery | USA

In 1971, decorated Vietnam veteran Bernard Patterson walked into his hometown bank in Mars Hill, Maine, wearing a wig, dark glasses and an ankle-length coat. He left with a fortune and launched an international manhunt that would take his story from a rubber raft in northern Maine to Europe, North Africa — and even a camel.


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Resources
Ronald Chase, The Great Mars Hill Bank Robbery: The True Adventures of Maine’s Zaniest Criminal (Down East Books, 2016). Publisher page. (https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Great-Mars-Hill-Bank-Robbery/Ronald-Chase/9781608933617)
Ron Chase Outdoors, “The Great Mars Hill Bank Robbery.” (https://ronchaseoutdoors.com/books/the-great-mars-hill-bank-robbery/)
Anthony Brino, “The Mars Hill bank robbery that shocked Maine 45 years ago,” Bangor Daily News, 12 November 2016. (https://www.bangordailynews.com/2016/11/12/news/the-mars-hill-bank-robbery-that-shocked-maine-45-years-ago/)
Kathryn Olmstead, “‘Oh, Bernard’: Writer rounds up adventures of Maine’s ‘zaniest criminal’,” Bangor Daily News, 30 June 2016. (https://www.bangordailynews.com/2016/06/30/living/oh-bernard-writer-rounds-up-adventures-of-maines-zaniest-criminal/)
Lloyd Ferriss, “Book review: Maine bank robber’s exploits make for absorbing tale,” Portland Press Herald, 10 July 2016. (https://www.pressherald.com/2016/07/10/book-review-maine-bank-robbers-exploits-make-for-absorbing-tale/)
Kate Irish Collins, “Book details controversial, colorful Maine bank robber: Q&A with Ron Chase,” Portland Press Herald, 15 September 2016. (https://www.pressherald.com/2016/09/15/book-details-controversial-colorful-maine-bank-robber-qa-with-ron-chase/)
“The Great Mars Hill Bank Robbery author holding book talk at CVPL,” Daily Bulldog, 23 March 2017.
(https://dailybulldog.com/arts/the-great-mars-hill-bank-robbery-author-holding-book-talk-at-cvpl/) Paula Brewer, “5 criminals who tainted Aroostook County history,” Bangor Daily News, 19 December 2022.
(https://www.bangordailynews.com/2022/12/19/aroostook/five-criminals-who-tainted-aroostook-county-history-joam40zk0w/)
Created & Produced by Sonya Lowe
Narrated by Noel Vinson
Music: "Nordic Medieval" by Marcus Bressler
Background track: Doblado Studios: https://www.youtube.com/c/DobladoStudios

This True Crime Podcast was researched using open-source or archive materials.