GORDON KAHL CHRONOLOGICAL INVENTORY OF LIFE EVENTS:
CHILDHOOD:
GORDON WENDAL KAHL b. January 8th, 1920
(son of Fred & Edna Kahl)
+ Oldest of 5 kids.
+ MUSICAL; Took piano lessons as a kid & quit. Played by ear.
(Rebel pattern)
+ Installed Wind-generated electricity on farm in '30s.
+ Put headlights on Tractor (excellent mechanic)
+ Loved to Hunt
+ Liked to tease his sisters/practical jokes.
+ Graduated H.S. 1938
+ Went to Govt. CCC Program, 6 mons. in Montana.
+ Met Joan when she was 13. He was 20. (1940)
Managed Heaton Lumber Co.
+ Lost his appendix in his teens just prior to WWII.
WORLD WAR II:
+ Tried to enlist, flunked physical. (Appendix? or Heart?)
Passed his physical the second time, right after P.Harbor.
+ Joined Army Air Corp., Feb 1, 1942. Started pilot school,
but couldn't wait to get to action, quit and became a tail-gunner
and flight engineer on B25J Bomber.
+ Wounded by landmine in Africa. (schrapnel in hip)
Refused to quit flying.
+ Flew in all 3 Theatres of War, Africa, Europe, Indochina.
+ Shot down confused American plane.
+ Wounded again, Schrapnel in jaw from exploding ammunition.
+ Flew 57 bombing missions.
+ Credited w/shooting down 10 enemy planes.
+ 19 MEDALS = 9 Battle Stars, 4 Bronze Stars, Silver Star, 2 Air Medals, 2 Purple Hearts and a Presidential Unit Citation.
POST WAR:
+ Married Joan January 6, 1945. (She was a Catholic)
+ GK gave Joan a 20-guage shotgun for a wedding gift.
+ They bought 160 acres of farm from GKs uncle, adj. to
parents farm.
+ Went to College, dropped out because teacher was a
communist. He didn't see why you had to learn other
subjects than what you wanted.
+ Had Six kids:
1) Linda b. Oct.1947.
2) Lorna b. June 7, 1951
3) Lonnie b. June 7, 1958
4) Yorie b. August 12, 1959
(Named after a dead war buddy)
5) Fred Von b. Oct. 1960
6) Loreen b. 1963
+ Gordon tried govt. farm training program. Quit, because
they wanted him to go in debt, buying a bunch of
equipment & dairy barns.
+ Joined Farm Subsidy Program. Dropped out cause he
could make more planting the crop than having the
govt. pay him not to plant it.
+ GK felt the US Govt. had changed since he went to war. The
give-away programs. Discovered Pearl Harbor was rigged.
+ Joined the Mormon Church (1955), got his Mother to join,
he quit several years later because they were Mason-like.
+ Joined the John Birch Society. But, quit.
+ 1963 "They took all the silver and gold out of our money"
1963 Kennedy assasination & Loreen born.
+ Had to travel in the winters to warm climates for work
to make ends meet w/farm. Didn't believe in going in
debt. Los Angeles became to crowded. Went to Texas.
+ 1965 GK went to work for Toots.
+ GK's mother died in 1967. It was around this period that GK
was packing up and moving out of the country or to some caves
in Idaho.
+ Joined the Christian Constitutional Party (w/Dr. Clarence
Martin) (1968+)
+ Sent a letter to the IRS in 1968 saying he was no
longer paying Fed Income Tax. It was after he read the
book, THE CAT IN THE BAG.
POSSE / TEXAS TRIAL / PRISON
+ (apx. 1975) Joined the Posse Comitatus in Texas. Became
the state co- ordinator.
+ FBI-FOIA shows the FBI started investigating GK in 1975.
+ Yori gets busted for changing license tags.
(this ties in w/local police chief's testimony in Tax trial)
+ (apx. 1976) Went on TV in Texas. (w/W.M. Rinehart)
Said Taxes are illegal.
+ Gordon Forms his own church.
+ IRS indicted GK. (Information filed 11/16/76, Failure to
file for 1973 for $9,719.90 & 1974 for $11,950.38)
+ Gordon claims "Selective Prosecution"
+ Went on Trial and lost. (Guilty Verdict April 14, 1977)
+ Psychiatric Exam. (April 27, 1977) by Dr. H.B. Fain
@Springfield Medical Center (72 days)
+ Rinehart dies (12/10/77)in prison. Gordon gives Eulogy@funeral.
+ Lost appeal. (11/16/78) Court wouldn't appt. attny.
(United Tax Protesters Union didn't pay his attnys. fees
as promised)
+ Spent 9 months in prison (Feb. 1 to Aug. 2, 1979) & put
on 5 years probation.
PROBATION PERIOD
+ Gordon writes "Rip Van Winkle" letter to editor
(re: Feb. 7, 1980 article)
+ Violated terms of probation by not filing (April 15, 1980)
+ SUMMONS (July 2, 1980) Issued for him to appear in TX court.
+ MOTION FOR REVOCATION OF PROBATION (July 21, 1980)
+ GK refused to answer Summons (August 6, 1980)
+ RESCIND ORDER (9/23/80) granting U.S. Attny to withdraw its
motion to revoke defendants probation.
(I think the reason for the revoking of the first warrant
was that they knew they couldn't prove he was obligated
to file an income tax return)
+ IRS FILES LIEN (Nov.1980) on 80 Kahl acres
(Herman Widicker tries to pay it off. IRS refuses to say how
much he owes)
+ REISSUE TX ARREST WARRANT ORDER (Mar. 30, '81) to show cause.
(For some reason they decided to go back after him on a more
general reason, "No. 7-You shall report to probation officer
as ordered.")
+ BUD WARREN Meeting W/G.K. (April 1981)
+ GK featured in local NEWS Paper article. "WWIII will start!"
(April 11, 1981 Harvey Herald article, 701--324-4646 re: Janine)
+ Bud Warren replaced (June 15, 1981) by Ken Muir as ND Marshal.
+ Ken Muir ROAD CREW ARREST ATTEMPT (Late June 21, '81)
+ Deputy Director John Twomey of U.S. Marshals directs Ken Muir
not to expend any more time or money on misdemeanor warrant.
(Early July 1981)
+ Robert Chesire ATTEMPT (sniper scope, few days off)
(Apx. Summer 1981?)
+ PLANE CRASH (Sept. '81) Arrest attempt @ hospital
+ Gordon in exile in Arkansas under AKA Sam.
+ Yorie ARGUES w/ Pellet over gun (Nov. 19, 1981)
+ Lorna says she fished @ Easter (1982) in Ark w/Gordon
+ Yorie & Scott AGAIN ARGUE w/Pellet re: gun (May25,'82)
+ SCOTT FAUL (fall 1982) points gun @ Sheriff Pellet over school
summons (check court testimony for date) This was Nov. 30, 1982.
Nov. 1982 in Fessenden area, IRS sale of 80 acres of Kahl land. 6 men came to Sheriff Pellet's office. 2 IRS & 4 US Marshals. They informed him that they intended to serve a warrant on GK if he showed up for the sale.
+ GK files an injunction in U.S. District court to stop auction.
(clerk never files the document, US Marshal takes it,
see Andy M. book for document which is A USM Field Report Memo
signed by Wigglesworth talking about a meeting with
Judge Van Sykle, was being filed by Mike Philipps for GK)
+ Nov. 8, 1982 IRS has auction of Kahl's 80 acres. Nobody bids.
PRE-MEDINA:
+ APB (Feb. 10, 1983) put out on Rusty Kouba & Gordon Kahl &
Scott Faul License number is listed as the car they're in.
+ Darrel Graf attends some Meetings w/gun in guitar case.
+ Graf warns Kapp of the dangers involved w/GK.
MEDINA ROADBLOCK:
# Beautiful Weather
# Meeting @ Doc Martin's Clinic w/ arguments about religion/races.
# Kapp drives by and sees GKs car & calls state radio which put
him in touch w/Chesire,
# Chesire calls Muir. Muir calls Warren who refuses to go
Wigglesworth goes with Muir. Hopson goes w/Chesire.
Chesire converges from Bismarck, Muir from Fargo.
# Kapp stakes out Clinic.
* Scott & Yorie notice Kapp's stakeout.
* Graf gets call from Clinic.
* Chesire gets lost trying to find Kapp.
* Schnable gets hooked into helping Muir set up roadblock.
* Graf gets emergency crew together & orders roadblock moved out
of town.
* Yorie & Gordon move cars around to out of sight side of clinic
& change clothes & as the two cars leave someone drives up and gives them a warning, "They're setting you up."
* Chesire gets to Kapp just as they're leaving, Kapp gets in back
of Ramcharger w/ guns.
* Chesire tells Hopson to take off his badge. (check court test)
* Discrepancy: Yori mentions the ramcharger drives by them
as they're heading out of town and does a u-turn to follow them.
Kapp's description doesn't mention that.
* GK & Yorie drive over hill and see roadblock almost a mile
down. Yorie is watching Ramcharger rushing up behind. They get
trapped in the turnaround.
* Graf stops the Lanenga car at top of Cheese Plant hill.
* Yorie runs to Powerpole. Scott runs off towards house.
Wigglesworth runs off after Faul.
* Hopson moves up East ditch and tells Broer to get out of car.
Broer stays with feet out door.
* Muir stays far away. Chesire radios to come in.
Comes down 150 yards away. Muir & Chesire can't communicate
because they're on different radio channels. Muir finally
moves in about to 50 yards. moved up to 10 yards from Hopson.
* Hopson runs up out of ditch and slams gun on car roof.
* Yorie warns Dad. GK pivots towards Hopson.
* First shot rings out. Kapp says Chesire hit. GK says Yorie hit. Lanenga says it sounded like pistol shot.
* People yell, "Who fired?..." (Chesire, etc.)
* Kapp fires three shotgun blasts into Yorie.
* Kahl's version seems confused.
* Gordon fires at Ramcharger, alternating between Chesire &
Kapp's side. Kapp gets injured and goes to ditch. GK describes
moving & firing constantly until he gets a clear shot at Chesire
and take's him out.
* Scott runs up to help Yorie.
* GK says he then shot Hopson who was rising to aim at Scott.
* Schnable shuttles from front to rear of his car, worried
about Faul coming up from behind in woods. And in front constantly
seeing GK aiming at him. Finally gets shot in leg and crawls into
ditch. (GK in his acct. seems to confuse Schnable & Hopson)
* Kapp tries to reload and has missing finger. He runs...
* Wigglesworth is doing ostrich in woods.
* Kahl doesn't mention shooting Muir in letter. Kennelly claims
Chesire shot Muir accidentally in line of GK.
* GK mentions a maintenance truck that pulls up behind Ramcharger
during the 9 minute standoff. Why wasn't that guy ever used as a
witness?
* Scott loads Yorie into car & buzzes him to clinic followed by
GK & Joan.
* Kapp runs up to ambulance at top of hill and yells, "go kill
those guys!"
POST MEDINA SHOOTOUT DAY:
* David Broer & Vernon Wagner drive home via the dirt roads.
Then arrested in the middle of the night.
* Dr. Martin @ Medina Clinic treats Yorie and Hopson.
* Yorie is yelling for his Mom to take his boots off.
* Kapp is holding his bleeding hand, he yells @ Scott.
* GK comes in with gun in each hand. Doc's wife yells at him to
get out with those guns.
* Doc says, we'll give Yorie one more shot and if that doesn't
stop the bleeding, he's a goner. It does stop.
* Ambulance ride of Hopson and Yori to Jamestown & major surgery.
Yorie loses right kidney & Gall bladder, liver shot up, cut out
part of intestines, right lung grazed.
* Joan is arrested at the hospital.
* Yori's wife is refused access to Yorie. She is told he is dead.
* Gordon & Scott abandon car near Kahl farm & get supplies.
* Gordon & Scott hide in barn & Gordon writes Brown bag letter.
* Media kicks into action. TV News announces shootout.
EVENTS FOLLOWING SHOOTOUT:
* Scott Faul turns himself in on Monday. Brings in GK's
Brown bag confession.
* Two reporters go thru GK's house.
* Search Warrant delayed till Tues. morning & FEDS then invade
the house. Shoot the family dog.
* Yorie is interrogated coming out of anasthesia @ 3am.
* ASHLEY INVASION, Thurs. AM (Feb 17, 1983)
* Doc Martin's home & clinic searched. Guns conviscated.
* Media Blitz.
GORDON ON THE RUN:
* Gordon flies to Arkansas to escape.
* Stays w/Leonard Ginter.
* Goes and stays w/ Art Russel & daughter Karen.
* Goes back to Leonard Ginter's.
THE FARGO TRIAL:
* Case is brought to trial very rapidly.
* No bond.
* Yori tries to get a Constitutional Lawyer: Charles O'Brien,
Sr., The Constitutional Christian Law Center, Box 2181, Cheyenne,
Wyoming 82001
Judge denies him that right.
* David Broer tries to get Constitutional Lawyer:
J. Douglas Alexander, P.O. Box 2095, Sidney, MT 59270,
(406) 482-3180
* Judge Benson orders Defense Lawyers not to talk with media.
Prosecutors were allowed, under the premise they had to
communicate with the media in regards to apprehending GK.
* Judge Benson refuses to recuse himself.
* Judge refused change of venue.
* Judge Benson refused to allow the defense lawyers to ask
the prospective jurors questions (Voire dire)
* Joan is coerced into going on TV and pleading for Gordon to
surrender.
* Lynn Crooks promises Scott Faul he can take a polygraph
and use it in the trial, if he talks with the FBI about where
GK might be. They refused to honor that written committment
and the Judge backed Crooks.
* Fed. Prosecutor Lynn Crooks failed to disclose the degree of
friendship of relationship between himself and juror August
Pankow. Their family were friends and they grew up together
in the small farming community of Hankinson, ND (pop. 500).
A total of three juror ended up being from Hankinson.
* The foreman of the jury was playing cards with Vernon Wagner's
brother on the night of the shootout. Didn't disclose that
relationship in voire dire.
* VERN Wagner cuts plea bargain deal. (says in tele.
interview that the FBI offered to set him up with a new
identity and job, relocate, etc.)
* Judge allows Yorie's 3am confession into evidence.
* Judge disallows GK's brown bag description of what went on
at the shootout. Govt. handwriting experts confirm it's GK.
* Judge allows the widows to testify.
* Judge allows graphic photos of the deadmen into evidence.
* Somebody distributes GK's letter to people around the
country (to farmers, posse comitatus)
* Jim Wickstrom, self-proclaimed leader of Posse Comitatus
jumps on the PR bandwagon and milks it. Claims he's going
to help negotiate bringing GK in.
* Press headlines Faul executing Chesire / Ballistics shows
he didn't.
* Yorie's .45 shows up during closing arguments.
Seems they had the tip called in a few days earlier,
but the feds didn't follow up on it.
* Judge won't allow the defense attorney's to talk about
the gun and the Judge just allows Ramlo, (Joan's Attorney)
to mention it in his closing argument.
* Why didn't the lawyer's set up a self-defense approach.
* When the prosecutors played the police radio tapes at
the end of the trial, why didn't the defense lawyers examine
the radio tapes preceding Medina, i.e. the communications
between Muir and Chesire as they were approaching Medina
from opposite directions? (Lynn Crooks has a spliced tape)
* US Marshals play softball w/Jury. Wigglesworth involved w/Jury.
MANHUNT FOR GORDON KAHL:
* Friends of Gordon get rousted by FBI around country.
(Toots, Roberta Stagg, Mark Stagg, Widicker's, etc.)
* Stays w/Ginters
* Goes to Art Russel's & lives w/Karen & kids.
* Gordon has dinner with Rev. Ed. Udey.
* Karen the Squealer goes to FBI, for $25,000 reward.
* FBI flies over Ginters.
* Sat. May 28, 1983 GUILTY VERDICT COMES IN AT TRIAL.
* Gordon knows they're close and he stays put.
* Friday June 3, 1983...Mixed law enforcement posse (Feds,
state, county, locals) moved out to arrest GK.
DEATH OF GORDON KAHL:
* Gordon, Leonard & Norma have beans & franks for dinner
w/greenbeans.
* Leonard gets antsy and says he's going fishing. He
goes out and gets in his car with fishing pole and rifle.
Gets stopped as he's going up the hill out drive.
* They take him to corner of garage and tell him to
call out his wife. Leonard yells, "Norma, come on out here,
the FBI wants to talk with you!"
* Norma says she heard Leonard yell, but couldn't tell
what he was saying, so she went outside & was grabbed by
Sheriff Gene Matthews who turned her over to Blasingame.
* Sheriff Matthews rushed in followed by US Marshal
Jim Hall & St. Trooper Ed Fitzpatrick.
GOVT. STORY IS THAT:
* Shots fired (two sounding like one simultaneous) and
Sheriff Gene Matthews (.41 magnum, Smith & Wesson
Model 57 w/4" barrel) and GK killed each other in a face to
face gunfight.
* Fitzpatrick rushed outside and blindly emptied his
shotgun through the window into the general vacinity of
the kitchen. Hitting both GK and the Sheriff.
* US Marshal Jim Hall purportedly carried the wounded
Sheriff out to garage where he dumped him, because he
was too heavy.
* Surrounding law enforcement then open-fired on the
house with thousands of rounds.
* Sheriff Gene Matthews could be heard crying for help
from garage but they wouldn't stop shooting.
* 15 minutes later Sheriff Matthews staggered outside
and collapsed, dead.
* The Govt. still didn't know if GK was dead, so they
shot teargas into house, at which time the house caught
fire and burned for several hours.
* They then retrieved the body and Tom Lee took the
bullet out of head and gave it to another officer.
* CORONER FAHMY MALEK said he took the bullet out of
GK's head. Confirmed through dental records it was Kahl.
* The FBI stated in a memo acquired thru FOIA that
they decided not to do a crime scene investigation because
of feared hostilities from the locals.
BASIC END OF GOVT. VERSION OF GK DEATH.
POST GORDON KAHL ARKANSAS DEATH EVENTS:
* Norma & Leonard Ginter, Rev. Ed Udey & wife, and
Art Russell are all put on trial for harboring GK.
* NY-Times reporter finds Gk's foot in ruins two
weeks after the fact.
* Rev. Udey shook his hand and had GK to dinner and
he ended up doing 3 years.
* Leonard Ginter does 4 years. Norma gets off.
Art Russell gets probation.
* Art's daughter Karen, gets placed in a fed.
witness protection/relocation program. She's somewhere in VA.
* Medical Examiner Fahmy Malek loses GK's body parts.
* Local cop testifies at harboring trial that the FBI
ordered him to pour diesel fuel down chimney and set it on fire.
* Police photos of the crime scene are lost.
* Police radio tapes are lost that might have the message
going out that they thought they'd killed Bill Wade ( the
owner of the farmland) instead of Gk.
* Houston Fire Dept. Arson Investigator is hired to inspect
death site. He finds evidence that diesel fuel was splattered
inside of house. Driven out of County by the County prosecutor
* Jack McLamb, retired Phoenix Police officer brings in group
of ten retired police officers and does an independent
investigation. The government refuses to convene a grand jury.
* McLamb spends seven years raising money to pay for the
exhumation of GK's body to prove the govt. covered up what
really happened to GK.
