Lee McCall
Encyclopedia
Lee McCall was a member of the Stander Gang, a group of three escaped convicts who went on a bank robbing spree in South Africa
from October 1983 until February 1984. The group was named for Andre Stander
, who gained fame for having been a Captain of Detectives in the Johannesburg
Police when he started his individual crime spree before being arrested. The third member was Allan Heyl
.
Lee McCall was the only gang member with whom the South Africa
n police managed to catch up before he could flee the country. Several call girls who the gang had employed at their safehouse from time to time assisted the police in locating the safe house. They moved on the location early in the morning on January 30, 1984. At the time that their SWAT
units surrounded the house, only McCall was present. Stander was in Fort Lauderdale trying to arrange for the planned sale of a sailing yacht that the gang was going to use to escape the country. Heyl was still in South Africa, possibly at one of the gang's two other safehouses. McCall wouldn't surrender himself. He instead starting looking out of several windows in different rooms, attempting to ascertain whether the policemen were trying to maneuver their way in to house surreptitiously. He then began shooting first, aiming at the police. The police returned fire and McCall was subsequently shot to death.
Stander, hearing about what happened, was essentially stranded in Florida
. He too was killed, in a shootout with Fort Lauderdale police.
Heyl left the other safehouses or wherever he had been at the time of McCall's death, and fled to Greece, then England (where he committed a serious robbery with only small proceeds), then Spain. He was eventually arrested by the British, served time in prison there for the robbery and a weapons charge, and was finally extradited to South Africa. In South Africa he was sentenced to 33 years in prison.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
from October 1983 until February 1984. The group was named for Andre Stander
Andre Stander
Andre Stander was a Police Captain at the CID branch of Kempton Park Police Station, South Africa who began robbing banks in the 1970s and later became known in popular media as the head of the "Stander Gang" in the early 1980s...
, who gained fame for having been a Captain of Detectives in the Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
Police when he started his individual crime spree before being arrested. The third member was Allan Heyl
Allan Heyl
George Allan Heyl is the last surviving member of the Stander Gang of South African bank robbers.Heyl met his accomplices Andre Stander and Lee McCall in 1977, while they were in prison together ; Stander and McCall escaped from prison in August 1983, and broke Heyl out in October of that same...
.
Lee McCall was the only gang member with whom the South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n police managed to catch up before he could flee the country. Several call girls who the gang had employed at their safehouse from time to time assisted the police in locating the safe house. They moved on the location early in the morning on January 30, 1984. At the time that their SWAT
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
units surrounded the house, only McCall was present. Stander was in Fort Lauderdale trying to arrange for the planned sale of a sailing yacht that the gang was going to use to escape the country. Heyl was still in South Africa, possibly at one of the gang's two other safehouses. McCall wouldn't surrender himself. He instead starting looking out of several windows in different rooms, attempting to ascertain whether the policemen were trying to maneuver their way in to house surreptitiously. He then began shooting first, aiming at the police. The police returned fire and McCall was subsequently shot to death.
Stander, hearing about what happened, was essentially stranded in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. He too was killed, in a shootout with Fort Lauderdale police.
Heyl left the other safehouses or wherever he had been at the time of McCall's death, and fled to Greece, then England (where he committed a serious robbery with only small proceeds), then Spain. He was eventually arrested by the British, served time in prison there for the robbery and a weapons charge, and was finally extradited to South Africa. In South Africa he was sentenced to 33 years in prison.