Hi, it's Phoebe, just a quick note to let you know that we started another podcast. It's very simple thing: it's just me reading a classic mystery novel a chapter a day. It's called Phoebe read the mystery and you can get it wherever you're. Listening to this right now, ok, here's the show was, can remember, reading the news, paper and back then the newspapers would prevent the Grannie black and white photos of bank robber, Sir suspects and crimes, and there was this fund of a man dressed in a cowboy had and boots and leather code. It was like, May ninety ninety one skip Parliament's work is a writer for Texas Monthly, a man with a beard wearing a cowboy hat, and a brown mother jacket walked into a bank in Irving Texas in May of ninety. Ninety one, without speaking,

handed the teller note that read this. Is a bank robbery give me your money, no marked bills or die and I dont know most bank robbers do not interest. May I may vary their impulsive, they scream. When they come into a bank. They shout, they waved their guns, they screech away. They don't take any precautions. He was this polite gentlemen tipped his head at the at the tellers. He walked away with the money. He was very calm. Very measured got out just in time. For the police came in. For some reason I was certainly armed by him, and then he did it again in December of ninety ninety one would appear to be the same man again dressed in a cowboy hat, leather jacket, robbed a second bank in Irving, walking away with twelve hundred dollars

the men in January. Ninety ninety two, the mysterious robber, struck again robbing a third bank this time in Garland Texas. He robbed a fourth bank four months later, each time it was the same. He said very calm, didn't speak and was the bank before anyone quite knew what had happened to Dallas. You know they were surrounded by this ring of suburbs and he seemed to be taking off one suburb after another Irving Garland Mystique skip Human worth says this robber was smart. He knew to keep his head down security cameras would have a hard time getting a picture of his face. He didn't fidget. While the way for the teller to hand over the money, These are not cinematic bank robberies. These are the kind of bank robberies that pretty

huge amounts of money, so the gagging go retire in the south of France. It was just this sort of lonely. Looking cowboy. Who was just getting about there are three thousand dollars a robbery because bank robbery federal crime, the FBI it was brought into investigate they, nicknamed the bank robber cowboy Bob after a trademark cowboy had, The FBI has no leads me, thus, the secret of small time bank robberies unless the police get there in time to catch him in the act, if the robber gets away out of the parking lot driving his getaway car there's a good as he will not be caught in it debate that he had everything perfectly in control and it was driving steam power completely nuts. Oh goodness,

I had seen many many bank robberies. I mean you have to understand, who see However, in the FBI and taxes, he was a lean bank robber specialists and he was tat his hair out this cowboy Bobby he came to be known around the doll. FBI offices was beating the best guy in the business. You know a perfect bank robbery. I guess- and I hope I'm not educating anybody that wants to rob a bag, but you know you want to get in Rob the bank. Leave as little evidence ass possible. That's gonna allow someone like me to track you down,

if you can getting an and get out very quietly and get the amount of money that you want and get away, then you have pulled off a successful by a robbery, Flemmer FBI, agent, Steve Power in the nineties. He was based in Dallas where he was the bureau's bank robbery coordinator. I was responsible for connecting all the robberies. In other words, if we had eyes what what you would call a serial bag proper. I would see that all that was the same guy that robbed that about a bank or he may have robbed and Albuquerque or Oklahoma City, but I would study the bank robbers and tie the cases together,

Steve power had been with the FBI for just over twenty years, but this new bank robber, cowboy bob, polite quiet and hitting suburban banks for relatively small sums of money, was outsmarting. There is one thing about cowboy bob that didn't add up when Steve Powell reviewed security camera footage. He noticed the cowboy Bob was wearing his hat backwards. I'm Phoebe judge. This is criminal. The first robbery was in may have ninety ninety one. The second was months later in December of ninety ninety one in Irving, Texas. On that day, these policies, cowboy Bob parked his card directly in front of the bank

calmly got out of the driver's seat and walked into the building. Now, with my experience on new either this bank robber is an idiot or there's something wrong with the US, because most bank robbers do not want you to get a good description of their get away vehicle and especially the license plate number because we're gonna be able to track that license. Plate number and I may be at your house before you even get how well this person was using a play. Then invariably turned out to have been stolen. From another way here which led us then a wild, goose chase and wait wait then we had no clues. We had a description of the vehicle, older rusk,

word. Grand Prix with the term top, but the license plate did not lead us anywhere. The three bank robbery, occurred a month later in January of ninety. Ninety two Steve Powell says that once again, cowboy Bob parked his car. In plain view of plenty of witnesses, which meant that once again Steve Power at a license plate number to follow up on, but once again it did him no good you're. A lot of car for happen reveals,

the license plate may be registered to, and I'm gonna make this up a yellow Volkswagen. Well, you know that was not the description of our bank robbers car so up until the third, maybe even the fourth robbery we didn't have a clue. We were praying for a little break. They would give us some them to lead us in the right direction, and then on September, twenty fifth, ninety ninety two Steve Power got his wish. He got a call probably Bob had just rubbed his fifth bank in Mesquite Texas, and of course now I remember it like it was yesterday I was there we can Our investigation, but just like always fame description, there's no fingerprints because

individual war gloves Everything was the site, but the cowboy had sunglasses, the beard never spoke used amount but the money on the bag and bone. The bandit is gone, got the license. Plate well turned out you know the person didn't have a clue that their licence blade had been removed from their view here before I left the bag. I get a second phone call. This time are the office advisers made that we had just had the second bank robbery within a bath within five miles it one very far right there in the scheme,

and course I asked for a description and they gave it to me and I'll be honest with you. I used the bad word because I knew it was the same silly bank robber and I went ok here we Kaliko, I asked him: ok, do we have a license plate, member that robbery waylay advise me? Yes, they had obtained it. I said all right, You know. Do we have agents in around two that location? Yes, we do, and I'm taking you know it probably not gonna leaders anywhere, but registered Elinor was way out in the Irvine Texas Area, which way on the other side of Dallas. From more. We were so, I guess, standing by basically in the first bank, and one of our agents call me, and he said well

We found the registered owner, but this is the first time Phoebe, where the car and the license plate manage that had never The car was a brown Pontiac Grand Prix Ridge, should to a man named PETE Talus FBI agents went to the Ford Auto Parts Factory where PETE Talus worked. They asked him if he owned a grand Prix and he said that he did, but he said about a year ago he gave the car to his mother and sister. The FBI agents told him that the car had just been used in a bank robbery and p. Talus was reported to have said bullshit that car can go fast enough. The F b I asked where they could find the car and PETE Talus gave them in addressing Garland Texas

where his mother and sister lived and I'm gone. You know what are the odds, let's go check it out, so I left that bag and took off for this location. Well, this man had told her. She lives lives a big apartment complex, so I I pulled start looking for the vehicle and sure enough, but I find it and I believe both to me it has the right life and played on it, which match what has just happened at the last back, so I'm going ok, this is real good, and so I backed up and possess myself, for I can keep an eye on the vehicle and call for some backup.

So shortly thereafter, summary- our other agents, started arriving and why we're setting there in a week, you have to understand that point: we're about to make entry into that apartment because we figure the bank robbers in there. Well, why were discussing our plans to make entry here? a little lady walking out wearing shorts and a t shirt and she gets into the vehicle going. Ok, there's a girl friend, we don't want to stop her. I don't know

the bank robbers him the apartment watching her or not, but will lead her pull out and get close to the outside of the apartment, complex and we'll stop or so, and that what we did so by we stop the vehicle. Of course, you know We identify ourselves and I get this a female driver have of other car and bring her to my vehicle and put her in the back seat. Now she identified Churchill to me has Peggy Joe Towers I said, I'd Peggy said in our lives. The car was used in the bank robbery who have driven it well, she said just me,

and I said it's gonna be over here just a minute- I said you need to tell me who he and tell me, and she said it just me. Drive in the car hash around. Who's in the apartment yes, my held early mother, so I got out of the vehicle she what a share anything with me, and I knew I understand that so I told the agent does it You know we're gonna have to go in, so I stayed with her and some the agents made entry into the apart

and finally, one of the agents comes back out of the car and he's Steve. We ve got the beard, the had the jacket and a firearm, and I said: ok so he's goin back in and ass it back in the car and acid. Thirty listen! You know we ve got the disk

Now, where did he go and in just a moment the agent came back out? Am I got out of the economy said stay we ve got all the money from both robberies, and I said, ok good. So I get back in the car and acid hot rod. I said you know this is over. I said now you ve got to tell me who he is. Did you call her hot? Not after all be honest with? You are probably dared to that. That was kind of a wait. That's OPEC knows that its did. She seems scared at all.

No. No. That was what was so calm. She was very calm and Phoebe I'll say right up front with you. She never lied to me and you're in inside I realize now she ever lied. I kept saying you know who you're protecting when nobody who's been on the car. Just me and we have kept the coroner around and around the tree. You right now baby at about that point. I guess the sun had changed little bit him and you gotta understand I'm sitting in the back seat worth there. I looked over it. Peggy am. I saw this and I hate to say it like this, but this white stuff can. My legs

breaking out of her hair, and I know basically mean it would be like if this person have legs grimly bad case of dandruff or amended hit me she had taken and which are located myself in me, apartment later, some spray that you get at, like a Halloween costume store where you can spray your hair and turn it into a kind of white, and it would just falling out of her hair onto her shoulder and to this day I remember sitting there and when I spotted that Finally, the light went off with me and I realize Jiminey cricket vicious the bandit once you realize that that this

who's, who you were looking for? Did you say to her? It's you. What did you say to her that? Well I told her. You're my bank, robber and you're under arrest- and you know now you gotta understand she never admitted anything to me and want I told She was under arrest for bank robbery. I saw no one motion from her Steve Parliament is agents arrested, Peggy Joe Talus and immediately took her into custody shoes. Forty eight there's old, had you ever been so stumped in your whole career. I mean when you think about all that Ankara worries that you handled in long career. Was this one that disease one really stick out? Well it in no way does be honest with your big carve out a few phoebe I'll have to show you the survival of pressure from the robberies

I mean if you could have told me, while that of female I'd like to hear you say that, because it was so far from what I was looking for, they wanted actually happened. Yes, I was, I was amazed and yellow Phoebe. If you can understand, I may I feel, like a media, it you never clicked with me that it was her you know, I wonder, she'd been so smart all through those other bank robberies what what do you think then you know it's not an amateur mistake. I know what you're firing am invariably by will. Finally, my goal: Don't mistake now, therefore, wasn't a little mistake, but she had robbed that first back and I'm sure once she got away from that

back. She counted the money and said o Germany, I didn't get enough. So she was in a hurry for some reason and she took that stolen play off of her car am went and rob the second back with her real license plate visible and that's what brought her down that Had that not happened? Lord knows how long we work been lookin for her pick you to tell us is convicted of three counts of bank robbery and sentenced to thirty three months in federal prison Skip Harlin's worth wrote about her for Texas Monthly into does. In five, he reported that a psychologist named Richard Schmidt sat down with Peggy Joe Talus. Richard Schmidt said that when he would ask her, questions should just sort

look at him and matter factly, smoker cigarette smuggling or shoulder shaking her head ass if she was a sure what what else to tell it, she didn't know how to tell him. She said you know He needed some money to help out her mom, who was sick, and whose medications cost too much money and the psychologist There was a murmured with her just a steam power, the FBI agent was enamoured with her. What was she doing? She goes well, I just one to pay for my mother's medications, but I they had no intention of robbing a second bank or a third or fourth, and then she poured out or cigarette case and let another cigarette in what she meant. Realize was. Is that she deep down just enjoyed the heck Adam robbing banks, Richard Schmidt, would leader describe Peggy Sue?

less as a nice normal looking woman when she got out of prison, she laid low. She continued to live with, and care for her sick man. She got a job at a marina just outside of Dallas years past. And after her mother died. Peggy Joe bought an that same year, Steve Powell, retired from the FBI and moved from down two Lubbock every once in a while. He teach a class for bank employees on how to spot bank robbers. He'd always tell the story of Cowboy Bob and then couple of years later someone walked into the guarantee Bank in Tyler Texas. With a mustache wearing a big hat and gloves and walked out with a bag of money, state power, was working still for the appeal,

I think he would unknown immediately do that was that it rob that bag we'll be right. Back, support. Your criminal comes from better help. Better help offer secure, affordable and professional online counselling. They can Do you find a licence? Counselor they'll be a great fit for you, whether looking for help with anxiety, depression or anything else, and it's easy to connect with your counselor through text, chat, phone or video calls health is a truly affordable option and criminal listeners get ten percent of your first month with this count code criminal. So why not get started today but a better help. Dot com such criminal, that's

Ici, LP, dot, com, slash criminal, talked with therapist on mine and get help thanks to square space for their support with square space, and you can create a beautiful and functional website with just a few clicks square space gives you powerful e commerce tools analytics it help you grow in real time and twenty four seven award winning customer support. I've? U square space to make several websites and their incredibly easy to set up and customize, and they will create to make your own website go to school. Space dot com such criminal for free trial, and when you ready to launch use the offer good criminal, If ten percent of your first purchase of a website or domain. There was a robbery and bacon in these taxes.

A very small bank called the guarantee Bank in the town of Tyler and according to the two hours, the robber was an older man with around stomach scraggly mustache. Or big Floppy had he had Maggie clothes he wore gloves, he placed a green canvas. Back on the counter and he said out loud gimme, all your money. No, they bills no blow up money. He got a stack of cash, Tell her letter said to the FBI that his voice sounded sort of strange and my support been glued on and stomach. Look more. Added than real. This wasn't. Thousand for Ben tellers. The FBI that the bank robber, had taken the money and just cause we walked out of the bank and down the street, no ones a car, the B, I interviewed an older man, they thought match the description of the bank robber.

They gave him a lie. Detector test which he passed so he continued their investigation and continued interviewing older men seven months later. On me, fifty two thousand five Peggy Joe tell US parked her VIII across the street from that same guarantee Bank in Tyler Texas. This time she walked in but no cowboy disguise which I've just our. Found fascinating said why she would change her m o after so many years, successfully getting away with as a man, so she parked across the street and urbane she walked into the bank. You see, of course, didn't use. The gun, she's very polite, was told, tell her that she wanted her money. The tellers everything in a drawer eleven thousand dollars, Peggy Justice. Thank you

then she walks out the door in her. Heart must have been this isn't. Always what I've thought is that her heart must have been rising. One thousand dollars was a huge amount of money for her she'd. I wanted to go live on the beach in Mexico. In this way, a chance to do. She would be able to pay for a trip down there and as she, walk out the door. However, the teller had slipped in a dye pack. It looks like we're money, but if you walk through the door with the alarm on it, the dye pack blows up and all this red smokes blows everywhere, gets on new gets on the bank gets on all the money so she had screwed up by the die pat get in there, and yet she kept walking resin locally toward her ivy.

And got in the army and drove away whether she had to drive up and ill from the bank to get away and the army was old and it was going through gears really fast and exhaust was poor. Out of the way out of the eye, and soon Does this line and police cars following her through Tyler because they still sure who was in the army and who was driving it and who else was in there? They thought they could be. An entire gang, a bank robbers in there, so they were very careful as they honoured aroma called assigned. And so they all lined up behind their cars with their rifles pointed at the door. They said come on out a spokesperson for the Tyler Police Department. Leader said that the females aspect got up from the driver's seat when back into the coach and pull down the shades on the driver. Side

According to a police sergeant on the scene, the officers waited outside the arriv, with their guns drawn for nearly ten minutes skip Harlin's worth says: Peggy Joe Talus smoked a cigarette these as she could have picked up the three fifty seven magnum she kept under her pillow, but instead she picked up a toy pistol, the coms, almost gas when this elderly lady, when the door and stood on the steps- and she says- I'm not coming with you- I'm not going back according to police, she waved the toy pistol in the air and said you're can have to kill me. The police spokesperson later said that the pistol quote looked real. There is nothing to indicate it was a toy when Peggy Giotto,

Alice, pointed her toy pistol at the police officers. They shot her. She was sixty years old when she died. I they signal This was down to the last any and she still had one chance. It bad and she had gotten away so many other times that I think that she thought. Maybe I'm got one last bad and I can, but I can they handed over the fence and let's be honest, if she and got in the way of the dire pack and not gone off and shit, and into that our very undetected and she made not that hill. She was on her way to Mexico, this land, and she always talked about with her friends, the beaches and Mexico, where she can go and hide away and not be held accountable to anyone in lives,

My feet always wanted to live instead of the life that she had to give up for taking care of her mother for so many years, because this would have been her second arrest and conviction for bank robbery. She was spent the rest of her life in prison. She said it's going down and doing it with a toy pistol? So I don't hurt anyone else, and she did. You know I'll be honest with you Phoebe I am in my mind. I am convinced Peggy Joe was not the type of person they wanted to go back to federal prison that were just not in her game plan, so to speak, what an

what did you think when you heard what happened in two thousand five? How did you hear? Well, I didn't You know I'll be honest with you. I didn't wanna hear let em. There was a part of me even though You know she never lied to me when I was with her. You know years prior. You know there was part of me. That said damn I wish I would have been there. Maybe I could have talked to her, but it didn't happen. So you know I never harbored any ill will against her. There was a lot that she did, that

I hate to say at this way, but as a bank robber than I respected, I really don't think she would hurt anybody so in order to hear that she had been shot and killed disc, a camera, her May I don't to hear it, but it was the way things went. FBI agents, Steve Powell, says Peggy Joe Talus came close to being the most perfect bank robber he's ever see, criminal is created by born spore and meet mediaeval and as our senior producer Susanna Robber scent, is our system producer audio MAX

my raw buyers. Special thanks to Cristoforo Julian Alexander, makes original illustrations. Preacher sort of criminal. You can see them at. This is criminal that we're on Facebook. In twitter at criminal show criminal is recorded in studios of North Carolina, public radio, debut you and see proud member of Radio Tokyo from bureaucrats, a collection, Of the best shows her out shows like articles of interest, a show about what we wear and why their secondary in his coming out now with six episodes about luxury People don't realize it's fantasy is always the sting that you have to work hard to do so. No one dresses like a king, it how you love. There are lots of things that we take for granted. The word once have been considered luxuries. Go lesson

you can find out more at ninety nine p, I dot org, I'm Phoebe judge. This is criminal. Radio to me.