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Look at it This Way

Killdozer — a real life horror story

A man, a dozer and a tale of revenge

The book "Killdozer" tells the true story of how a man in Granby, Colorado built a machine of destruction out of a bulldozer and then rampaged the city.
The book "Killdozer" tells the true story of how a man in Granby, Colorado built a machine of destruction out of a bulldozer and then rampaged the city.
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Those who know me well know my affinity for the mountains of Colorado. With my daughter, son-in-law, and precious granddaughter living in Denver, the lovely Mrs. Junell and I are fortunate to be able to make it up to those heavenly cascades with each change of season.

Anyone who has ever visited or lived there, as we did for a couple years, knows it’s a plethora of adventure with each new day.

And while you’d think that after a decade of exploring the state I might know pretty much all there is about it — it’s not that big, after all. However, as I discovered, I’m still learning.

A recent visit took us to the small mountain town of Granby — not to be confused with Granbury, though both are quite charming in their own way. But something happened a couple decades ago in Granby that will hopefully never happen in our more local town with a similar name — or anywhere, for that matter.

In the summer of 2004, what began as a dispute between the city and a local business owner elevated into one of the most unusual and terrifying responses imaginable.

 

How it started

With the Continental Divide in the background, Granby had always been a peaceful setting. Snowmobiles are still regularly ridden through the nearby trails in the dead of winter as a regular pastime.

But a businessman named Marvin Heemeyer brought a dark side to the community one unforgettable day. The entire story is documented in a book titled Killdozer by Patrick F. Brower, former editor of the Sky-Hi News, Granby’s weekly newspaper.

It is also told in a documentary named Tread, named so because the title Killdozer was taken in a 1970s cheesy horror flick starring Clint Walker and Robert Ulrich.

It all began when Heemeyer had a dispute with the local city leaders concerning property disputes. This led to him ultimately being forced to sell his business to his arch enemy, also setting in motion a plot of revenge unlike any other.

 

The dreadful day

Heemeyer spent the next year and a half in seclusion building an impenetrable wrecking machine. He fortified a bulldozer that he had secretly brought in during the middle of the night with concrete and steel, a much larger “War Wagon” for those familiar with the John Wayne/Kirk Douglas western.

Then, one day that began as peaceful as they regularly do in mountain towns, the sky erupted with a thunderous noise. The Killdozer escaped its containment by bursting through one of the walls.

Heemeyer then proceeded to drive through downtown Granby, destroying everything within its path.

“We live up by the propane tanks. We watched a lot of it,” said long-time resident Angie Kuczkowzki. “It was scary. It was unreal.”

Try as they might, law enforcement officers could not get to Heemeyer, who was driving. Bullets deflected off the Killdozer like Superman. Heemeyer had created a device of destruction that would rival any tank on the planet.

Buildings that had stood for decades were suddenly nothing more than rubble. Bits of history were instantly reduced to shreds, all while people were running in terror for a place to hide — those who weren’t petrified in place by the sheer unbelievable and horrifying occurrence unfolding before them.

Meanwhile, he continued on his destructive path, with one particular destination. He was headed for the “Sky-Hi News” offices and Brower, who he believed had wronged him with his reporting of the strife between Heemeyer and the council.

And yes, he did reach the news building, destroying it. Brower managed to escape, and the Killdozer became stuck.

Realizing he was trapped, Heemeyer ended his rampage by taking his own life with a gun. It was most likely his planned ending from the outset.

“Bullets were just bouncing off this thing,” recalled James Henley as if the incident were the day before. “I will never forget that day if I live to be a hundred and fifty.”

Ironically, Heemeyer is the only person who died in the infamous incident.

 

The aftermath

Today, Granby is completely rebuilt, though images of it in shambles following the attack will blow your mind.

“It took years to rebuild the town,” Henley said. “It kind of put us on the map, though that’s definitely not how you want to become famous.

“If you watch that documentary Tread it comes across as a descent into madness, and I suppose that’s about the best way to describe what he was going through.”

Like many towns, Granby has seen a change in population. Some folks moved away, some passed away and a whole new set of residents have since made Granby their home.

“I watched the documentary and then we ended up moving here. It’s funny how fate works sometimes,” said Rebecca Hightower. “I don’t think Granby is ever going to escape what happened, but it really is a nice place to live.”

There has been talk of commemorating the event, but why? Fortunately, city leaders have taken the high road and turned away such requests.

The story made world news, of course. However, it was quickly removed from the headlines as former President Ronald Reagan passed away the next day.

Plaque or no plaque, Granby is nonetheless famous, its place in history secured by of one of the strangest and most frightening days ever recorded.

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