Marshall Ledbetter
Encyclopedia
Marshall Ledbetter, Jr. was an American photographer, psychedelics enthusiast, iconoclast and unconventional protester.
, broke in to the Florida
state capitol building
and phoned a number of odd demands from the office of Wayne Todd, the Sergeant At Arms of the Florida Senate. This triggered a police standoff (the police were not sure if Ledbetter was armed or if he might have a hostage) that eventually ended peacefully. The action has become legendary in some circles. One characteristic telling of the legend puts it this way:
He told them that he wanted (among other things) a large Gumby's pizza, a case of beer and $100 worth of Chinese food. The demand note was not sent directly to the police but was faxed to the song request fax line of Gulf 104, a local rock station. The police surrounded the capitol building and set up SWAT
teams and sniper
s throughout the area, while Marshall Ledbetter demanded that the police get the following people on the telephone so that he could talk to them: Timothy Leary
, Jello Biafra
, Ice Cube
and Lemmy Kilmister
.
Wayne Todd remembered the event this way:
Of the many apocryphal stories surrounding Ledbetter's standoff, perhaps none is more famous than the request for donuts contained in his demand note. While it was widely reported that Ledbetter had asked for "666 jelly donuts," a read of his actual demand note clearly shows he was ordering Dunkin donuts for the police: "666 Dunkin Donuts for my fine friends in the TPD (Tallahassee Police Department
), FSUPD (Florida State University Police Department) and the LCSD (Leon County Sheriff's Department)."
After the standoff, Marshall was taken to the Florida State Hospital
at Chattahoochee
where he was eventually forced by court order to accept anti-psychotic drug treatment. On the Florida State campus that fall (especially among the members of student government party the Monarchy Party
), Marshall became something of a folk hero, with a few souls wearing homemade "Free Marshall Ledbetter Now" T-shirts (although an account from one FSU alumna states that they were really FMLN shirts and buttons borrowed from a local left-wing group supporting El Salvador
's Farabundo Marti para la Liberacion Nacional). Marshall unsuccessfully attempted to escape from Chattahoochee that fall.
. He was an avid photographer and worked at his father's camera store. He always seemed to have a camera and generously shared his photos. He was an enthusiast of the Church of the SubGenius
. He had one daughter.
Ledbetter committed suicide
in 2003.
penned "The Ballad of Marshall Ledbetter" for his band Lard
(the song was released in 2000). While Biafra never met Ledbetter, he said “I have spoken with him. He was lucky to get out of there alive. If it had happened now, I’m sure they would have just gone in there and blown the place up, or just done it Waco-style. He was institutionalized, and now he’s back out again walking the straight and narrow. But he sends me some odd anecdotes in the mail now and then. He was somebody who had had enough of the injustice in our world and chose to do something about it in very colorful fashion. I’ve been a long time fan of creative crime. The best part about this one is, it made a statement, it was a work of art, and not a single person got hurt.”
Protest
In the early morning of June 14, 1991, Ledbetter, then a student at Florida State UniversityFlorida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, broke in to the 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...
state capitol building
Florida State Capitol
The Florida State Capitol, in Tallahassee, Florida, USA, is the state capitol of the U.S. state of Florida. The building is an architecturally and historically significant building, having been listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
and phoned a number of odd demands from the office of Wayne Todd, the Sergeant At Arms of the Florida Senate. This triggered a police standoff (the police were not sure if Ledbetter was armed or if he might have a hostage) that eventually ended peacefully. The action has become legendary in some circles. One characteristic telling of the legend puts it this way:
He told them that he wanted (among other things) a large Gumby's pizza, a case of beer and $100 worth of Chinese food. The demand note was not sent directly to the police but was faxed to the song request fax line of Gulf 104, a local rock station. The police surrounded the capitol building and set up 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...
teams and sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
s throughout the area, while Marshall Ledbetter demanded that the police get the following people on the telephone so that he could talk to them: Timothy Leary
Timothy Leary
Timothy Francis Leary was an American psychologist and writer, known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs. During a time when drugs like LSD and psilocybin were legal, Leary conducted experiments at Harvard University under the Harvard Psilocybin Project, resulting in the Concord Prison...
, Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party of the United States. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
, Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
and Lemmy Kilmister
Lemmy Kilmister
Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister is an English heavy metal musician....
.
Wayne Todd remembered the event this way:
Of the many apocryphal stories surrounding Ledbetter's standoff, perhaps none is more famous than the request for donuts contained in his demand note. While it was widely reported that Ledbetter had asked for "666 jelly donuts," a read of his actual demand note clearly shows he was ordering Dunkin donuts for the police: "666 Dunkin Donuts for my fine friends in the TPD (Tallahassee Police Department
Tallahassee Police Department
The Tallahassee Police Department , provides public safety services for the city of Tallahassee, Florida.-History:Established in 1841, the Tallahassee Police Department has the distinction of being the oldest police department in the southern United States, and the third in the U.S., preceded only...
), FSUPD (Florida State University Police Department) and the LCSD (Leon County Sheriff's Department)."
After the standoff, Marshall was taken to the Florida State Hospital
Florida State Hospital
Florida State Hospital is a hospital and mental institution in Chattahoochee, Florida. Established in 1876, it was until 1947 Florida's only state mental institution. It currently has a capacity of 1,042 patients...
at Chattahoochee
Chattahoochee
- Places :*Chattahoochee River, a river in Georgia, Alabama, and Florida*Chattahoochee, Florida, a town in Gadsden County, Florida*Chattahoochee County, Georgia, a county in the Columbus, Georgia, metropolitan area...
where he was eventually forced by court order to accept anti-psychotic drug treatment. On the Florida State campus that fall (especially among the members of student government party the Monarchy Party
Monarchy Party
The Monarchy Party was a student political party that formed independently on two campuses across the United States. The first group was formed around 1970 at the University of Maryland, College Park by Greg Canter . The second was formed, without knowledge of the first, on the campus of Florida...
), Marshall became something of a folk hero, with a few souls wearing homemade "Free Marshall Ledbetter Now" T-shirts (although an account from one FSU alumna states that they were really FMLN shirts and buttons borrowed from a local left-wing group supporting El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
's Farabundo Marti para la Liberacion Nacional). Marshall unsuccessfully attempted to escape from Chattahoochee that fall.
Personal life
Marshall grew up in Auburndale, FloridaAuburndale, Florida
Auburndale is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,032 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 12,381...
. He was an avid photographer and worked at his father's camera store. He always seemed to have a camera and generously shared his photos. He was an enthusiast of the Church of the SubGenius
Church of the SubGenius
The Church of the SubGenius is a "parody religion" organization that satirizes religion, conspiracy theories, unidentified flying objects, and popular culture. Originally based in Dallas, Texas, the Church of the SubGenius gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s and maintains an active presence on...
. He had one daughter.
Ledbetter committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in 2003.
Influence on pop culture
Jello BiafraJello Biafra
Jello Biafra is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party of the United States. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
penned "The Ballad of Marshall Ledbetter" for his band Lard
Lard (band)
Lard is a hardcore punk/industrial band founded in 1988 as a side project by Jello Biafra , Al Jourgensen , Paul Barker , and Jeff Ward . Biafra is perhaps best known as the former frontman of the punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
(the song was released in 2000). While Biafra never met Ledbetter, he said “I have spoken with him. He was lucky to get out of there alive. If it had happened now, I’m sure they would have just gone in there and blown the place up, or just done it Waco-style. He was institutionalized, and now he’s back out again walking the straight and narrow. But he sends me some odd anecdotes in the mail now and then. He was somebody who had had enough of the injustice in our world and chose to do something about it in very colorful fashion. I’ve been a long time fan of creative crime. The best part about this one is, it made a statement, it was a work of art, and not a single person got hurt.”