Book ~ "The Beatle Bandit" (2021) Nate Hendley

From Goodreads ~ On July 24, 1964, twenty-four-year-old Matthew Kerry Smith disguised himself with a mask and a Beatle wig, hoisted a semi-automatic rifle, then held up a bank in North York, Ontario.

The intelligent but troubled son of a businessman and mentally ill mother, Smith was a navy veteran with a young Indigenous wife and a hazy plan for violent revolution.

Outside the bank, Smith was confronted by Jack Blanc, a former member of the Canadian and Israeli armies, who brandished a revolver. During a wild shootout, Blanc was killed, and Smith escaped - only to become the object of the largest manhunt in the history of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force.

Dubbed “The Beatle Bandit,” Smith was eventually captured, tried and sentenced to hang. His murderous rampage had tragic consequences for multiple families and fuelled a national debate about the death penalty, gun control, and the insanity defense.

I like reading true stories, especially Canadian, and this one is about the life and crimes of Matthew Kerry Smith, a Canadian bank robber whose actions became the focus of national attention in the 1960s. 

The book centres on Smith's July 24, 1964, robbery of a bank in North York, Ontario, where he disguised himself with a mask and a Beatle-style wig. The robbery ended in a street gunfight with Jack Blanc, a military veteran who confronted Smith after obtaining a firearm from the bank. Blanc was killed and Smith escaped, prompting what became one of the largest manhunts in the history of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force. 

Hendley traces Smith's background, including his family life, military service, personal relationships and earlier criminal activity, drawing on court transcripts, police records, newspaper accounts, interviews and other historical documents. It follows Smith's capture, trial and conviction, with attention to the arguments surrounding his mental health and criminal responsibility. The book also explores the broader impact of the case, describing how it contributed to public and political discussions in Canada about gun control, the insanity defence, capital punishment and the use of firearms in banks. At the end of the book, the author tells what happened to everyone, including Smith's family. 

I thought this was an interesting story, especially since it happened here in Toronto.  It was obvious the author did a lot of research.  I liked the writing style ... there was just enough information provided without being too detailed.