Bonnie and Clyde: The last hours of their lives

90th anniversary of death
Bonnie and Clyde: The Last Hours of Their Lives

90 years ago today, Bonnie and Clyde died. They never saw a judge, and no judgment was passed on their actions. On the morning of May 23, 1924, the couple walked into a trap that ended their criminal careers – and their lives.

On May 23, 1934, the sheriffs in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, had had enough. After four years and 14 murders, they wanted to catch and kill the criminal couple Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Texas Ranger Francis Augustus Hamer led the operation and had the phones of Bonnie and Clyde’s families tapped.

He learns about the couple’s habits and eventually finds out that they are in Louisiana. Henry Methvin, a friend of the couple and also a serious criminal, is crucial to Hamer’s plan to lure the gangsters into a trap.

Methvin faces the death penalty, which his father wants to protect him from. He therefore makes a deal with Texas Ranger Hamer and reveals where Bonnie and Clyde will be on May 23, 1934. The noose is tightening.

Betrayal of Bonnie and Clyde

Bonnie and Clyde have no idea of ​​the betrayal. As usual, they are driving in their Ford V8 and are pursuing a strategy: they always drive along the border between two states. If they are recognized and followed, they cross the border and the police are not allowed to follow them.

Hamer knows this strategy and comes up with a plan: he wants to prevent any pursuit from taking place. He forms a group of six men and prepares an ambush. To do this, he needs the help of Henry Methvin’s father.

On the evening of May 22nd, Hamer’s group hid in the bushes along Louisiana State Highway 154. Methvin Sr. parked his car on the road and feigned a breakdown.

At around 9:15 a.m. on May 23, the squad was still lying in the bushes and was almost ready to give up when the men heard a vehicle approaching at high speed.

Short process

The vehicle is the gangster couple’s Ford V8. Clyde is behind the wheel and brakes as hoped. The six law enforcement officers open fire as the car comes to a stop. Clyde is hit in the head and dies immediately after the first shot. Bonnie screams when she sees her friend die.

The officers fire approximately 130 shots and empty each of their weapons into the car. Bonnie and Clyde are dead. The car is inspected and towed away. All newspapers in the USA reported on the end of the infamous couple.

The couple’s last wish is not fulfilled: Bonnie and Clyde wanted to be buried side by side, but the Parker family does not allow this. Bonnie’s mother wants to have her daughter’s body brought home, but the mob surrounding the Parker house makes this impossible. More than 20,000 people attend Bonnie’s funeral, her family has difficulty reaching the grave. Clyde’s funeral was held in a small circle.