Paddy Mitchell
Encyclopedia
Patrick Michael "Paddy" Mitchell (26 June 1942 - 14 January 2007) of Ottawa
, Ontario
, Canada
, was leader of the notorious "Stopwatch Gang" of bank robbers
. Mitchell was regarded to be North America's most famous, most successful and, especially, most likeable bank robber of our time. Paddy Mitchell was on the Federal Bureau of Investigation
's most wanted list
for the Stopwatch Gang's bank robberies across the U.S.
Mitchell, working with fellow Canadians Stephen Reid
and Lionel Wright stole approximately $15 million, mainly in the 1970s and 1980s, from more than 140 banks and other sites across Canada and the U.S. He escaped from prison three times, and moved to the Philippines
for a period of 15 years, where he re-married and had a son who was named Richard. During that time, he often flew back to the U.S. to visit banks. Finally, in 1994, he was convicted for a solo robbery in Mississippi
and put in prison for the last time to serve a 65-year sentence.
The Stopwatch Gang, which was famous for its speedy heists — including the 1974 robbery of $700,000 in gold bars from the Ottawa Airport — took its name from the stopwatch
worn by Reid. Known for their non-violent
methods and for being polite to their victims, several television documentaries and books, including Mitchell's autobiography, This Bank Robber's Life, which he wrote from prison were produced.
At one time, Mitchell was a driver for the Pure Spring
soft drink company.
Mitchell was diagnosed with lung cancer
in 2006 and died in the Federal Medical Centre in Butner, N.C.
in the prison hospital at age 64. He is survived by Richard, Kevin, Michael Jindrick and two grandsons.
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, was leader of the notorious "Stopwatch Gang" of bank robbers
Bank robbery
Bank robbery is the crime of stealing from a bank during opening hours. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, robbery is "the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of...
. Mitchell was regarded to be North America's most famous, most successful and, especially, most likeable bank robber of our time. Paddy Mitchell was on the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
's most wanted list
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list arose from a conversation held in late 1949 between J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, and William Kinsey Hutchinson, International News Service Editor-in-Chief, who were discussing ways to promote capture of the...
for the Stopwatch Gang's bank robberies across the U.S.
Mitchell, working with fellow Canadians Stephen Reid
Stephen Reid (writer)
Stephen Reid is a Canadian writer, who has also been convicted twice of bank robbery.Born in Massey, Ontario, Reid began writing in 1984 while serving a 21-year prison sentence at the Kent Institution in Agassiz, British Columbia. During his sentence, he submitted a manuscript to Susan Musgrave,...
and Lionel Wright stole approximately $15 million, mainly in the 1970s and 1980s, from more than 140 banks and other sites across Canada and the U.S. He escaped from prison three times, and moved to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
for a period of 15 years, where he re-married and had a son who was named Richard. During that time, he often flew back to the U.S. to visit banks. Finally, in 1994, he was convicted for a solo robbery in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
and put in prison for the last time to serve a 65-year sentence.
The Stopwatch Gang, which was famous for its speedy heists — including the 1974 robbery of $700,000 in gold bars from the Ottawa Airport — took its name from the stopwatch
Stopwatch
A stopwatch is a handheld timepiece designed to measure the amount of time elapsed from a particular time when activated to when the piece is deactivated. A large digital version of a stopwatch designed for viewing at a distance, as in a sports stadium, is called a stopclock.The timing functions...
worn by Reid. Known for their non-violent
Nonviolence
Nonviolence has two meanings. It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle It can refer to the behaviour of people using nonviolent action Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings. (1) It can refer, first, to a general...
methods and for being polite to their victims, several television documentaries and books, including Mitchell's autobiography, This Bank Robber's Life, which he wrote from prison were produced.
At one time, Mitchell was a driver for the Pure Spring
Pure Spring Company
The Pure Spring Company Ltd. was an Ottawa, Canada-based bottler of soft drinks. Pure Spring products included Pure Spring Ginger Ale, Minted Grape, Swiss Cream Soda, Honee Orange, Grand Slam, root beer, and Gini, a mix...
soft drink company.
Mitchell was diagnosed with lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in 2006 and died in the Federal Medical Centre in Butner, N.C.
Butner, North Carolina
Butner is a town in Granville County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 7,591 at the 2010 census]. Butner was managed by the state of North Carolina from 1947 through 2007. A bill passed by the North Carolina General Assembly incorporating the town was signed by Gov. Mike Easley on...
in the prison hospital at age 64. He is survived by Richard, Kevin, Michael Jindrick and two grandsons.