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Killdozer: The True Story of the Colorado Bulldozer Rampage
On June 4, 2004, Marvin Heeymeyer unleashed his gigantic, armored, tank-like bulldozer upon the small town of Granby, Colorado. It was an act of defiant, but misguided, revenge upon those who he perceived had done him wrong in a long series of local property disputes. Over a period of serveral hours, Heemeyer proceeded to cause mayhem and destruction while overwhelming the efforts of local police to stop the Killdozer in its tracks. This book recounts the events and actions of the perpetrator leading up to the dramatic rampage as well as the aftermath of the horrendous incident in the community.
316 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
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170 people want to read
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June 10, 2018
There is a tendency in American culture that is more prevalent now than at any time I can recall: the tendency of otherwise intelligent people to form strong opinions on complex issues with little or no facts. Blame the Internet, blame our increasingly niche news sources, but we’re living in a Golden Age of ignorance.
One of the impressive things (and there are many) that Patrick Brower does with “Killdozer: The True Story of the Colorado Bulldozer Rampage” is show how the legacy of the infamous 2004 crime perfectly embodies the aforementioned concept, how it portended “the post-truth America of today.” (p. 286)
As editor of the local newspaper, Brower, who was a target of the rampage, is in the near-unique position to debunk many of the hero mythologies that have come to surround Marvin Heemeyer, the aggrieved mechanic and businessman who carried out the rampage. Having myself been a reporter/editor at a Colorado community newspaper (no connection whatsoever to the author or events of this book) during the rampage and its aftermath, I related to Brower’s description of Heemeyer and the gadflies that pop up in small and not-so-small towns. Characters who can nurse decades-long grudges over petty events and keep ever-growing lists of enemies.
Let it be known, too, that “Killdozer” is a pleasant surprise. The book is compulsively readable and the research imbued with the confidence of an eyewitness. What’s more, “Killdozer” presents Heemeyer as one of the most compelling character studies I’ve read in a nonfiction book. Although an outdoorsman possessed of loner tendencies, Heemeyer was no Kaczynski. He ran a successful business, had friends and even relationships. But in the end he would retreat to his preferred solitude, which is where he hatched the plan that would take his life (Brower shows that, although the rampage didn’t kill anyone else, that could almost be attributed to blind luck. About the most charitable thing that could be said about Heemeyer’s actions is between ‘he wanted to kill people’ and ‘he didn’t want to kill people,’ i.e., ‘he didn’t care if he killed people’).
“Killdozer” doesn’t provide a final, definitive answer for why Heemeyer did what he did that day, but its surfeit of information brings us as close as we’ll ever get to that unknowable.
One of the impressive things (and there are many) that Patrick Brower does with “Killdozer: The True Story of the Colorado Bulldozer Rampage” is show how the legacy of the infamous 2004 crime perfectly embodies the aforementioned concept, how it portended “the post-truth America of today.” (p. 286)
As editor of the local newspaper, Brower, who was a target of the rampage, is in the near-unique position to debunk many of the hero mythologies that have come to surround Marvin Heemeyer, the aggrieved mechanic and businessman who carried out the rampage. Having myself been a reporter/editor at a Colorado community newspaper (no connection whatsoever to the author or events of this book) during the rampage and its aftermath, I related to Brower’s description of Heemeyer and the gadflies that pop up in small and not-so-small towns. Characters who can nurse decades-long grudges over petty events and keep ever-growing lists of enemies.
Let it be known, too, that “Killdozer” is a pleasant surprise. The book is compulsively readable and the research imbued with the confidence of an eyewitness. What’s more, “Killdozer” presents Heemeyer as one of the most compelling character studies I’ve read in a nonfiction book. Although an outdoorsman possessed of loner tendencies, Heemeyer was no Kaczynski. He ran a successful business, had friends and even relationships. But in the end he would retreat to his preferred solitude, which is where he hatched the plan that would take his life (Brower shows that, although the rampage didn’t kill anyone else, that could almost be attributed to blind luck. About the most charitable thing that could be said about Heemeyer’s actions is between ‘he wanted to kill people’ and ‘he didn’t want to kill people,’ i.e., ‘he didn’t care if he killed people’).
“Killdozer” doesn’t provide a final, definitive answer for why Heemeyer did what he did that day, but its surfeit of information brings us as close as we’ll ever get to that unknowable.
January 1, 2025
By no means is a negative review of this book an endorsement of the events that took place that day. However, this book reads like a poorly thought out, dramatic, and petty Yelp review. The author makes no attempt to separate his personal feelings from the actions that took place. He even ventures as to put thoughts into the head of Heemeyer. The language is subtle, but noticeable. One of many examples being: “he scribbles quickly now, the sight of his thoughts on paper giving him inspiration and angering him more and more with each phrase, each idea”. There are many others to name, but the idea being that the author is speculating at best. I would not recommend this book to others.
March 7, 2018
Patrick Brower did an excellent job covering this event, providing the background for understanding, and making it all very readable. Definitely recommend, especially to those living in Grand County who want to know more about the Bulldozer Rampage of 2004 and what led up to it.
March 25, 2021
Maybe, just maybe, if the author wasn’t such a smug and egotistical a-hole this book would’ve been bearable and informative. But no, instead it had me sympathizing with Heemeyer because I wouldn’t want to deal with this guy either.
October 16, 2021
This was one of those events that will stay with me forever. Totally unreal. Bizarre. I am familiar with the area and know all of the people by name even though I don't know any of them very well. As for Heemeyer? That wasn't a name I knew, even though Grand Lake is part of my own backyard (broadly speaking). I clipped all of the articles from the Grand County papers, the Denver Post, and the Rocky Mtn news. I, too, had to see for myself what Heemeyer and his bulldozer had done. I took pictures. And now I have read Patrick Brower's take on what was a 'landmark event' in his own life. It wasn't a book to read before going to bed.
Brower's views and findings mesh well with my own. So do I think Heemeyer was wrong? Absolutely. Do I think the Town was out to get him? No. Was he frustrated? Yes. Were his actions justified? No. I think he had trouble seeing life from any point of view but his own. He was the center of his own universe. He needed to be the leader. He needed to win. He wanted to bring gambling to Grand Lake. He dumped his sewage in a neighboring irrigation ditch. He believed God was on his side, but money was his focus.
p 46: Most of the men in the snowmobile group knew that Marv was the undisputed leader for the Thursday rides, although he himself wasn't one to insist on any such label. He was the fastest, loudest and most audacious of any of the riders assembled that day. He had rebored his sled so he had 1300 ccs and the pipes were modified to allow the most efficient system he could assemble, which also meant it was very loud. Not only that, he had equipped his sled with a modified bumper system that allowed him to pass through forests of small trees and quagmires of willow bushes and small cottonwoods, knocking them over or pushing them out of the way.
Call me judgmental, but this alone tells me that he only cares about himself, his own pleasure. No, I don't understand his anti-hero status. Nor do I understand people who react viscerally and don't take the time to learn the facts.
This was a compilation of Heemeyer's writings and tape recordings as well as Brower's personal experiences and interviews with others who had interacted with Heemeyer, including the various officials who responded to the 911 calls. However, I still have questions. There are quite a few places that refer to what Heemeyer as thinking and/or how he was feeling. Those statements weren't qualified with any statements such as, "When he heard that, he must have been feeling ... " Bottom line: I would have appreciated it if Brower had differentiated between Heemeyer's own words and Brower's inferences.
Not indexed (unfortunately).
probably of most interest to people who have connections with Grand County
Brower's views and findings mesh well with my own. So do I think Heemeyer was wrong? Absolutely. Do I think the Town was out to get him? No. Was he frustrated? Yes. Were his actions justified? No. I think he had trouble seeing life from any point of view but his own. He was the center of his own universe. He needed to be the leader. He needed to win. He wanted to bring gambling to Grand Lake. He dumped his sewage in a neighboring irrigation ditch. He believed God was on his side, but money was his focus.
p 46: Most of the men in the snowmobile group knew that Marv was the undisputed leader for the Thursday rides, although he himself wasn't one to insist on any such label. He was the fastest, loudest and most audacious of any of the riders assembled that day. He had rebored his sled so he had 1300 ccs and the pipes were modified to allow the most efficient system he could assemble, which also meant it was very loud. Not only that, he had equipped his sled with a modified bumper system that allowed him to pass through forests of small trees and quagmires of willow bushes and small cottonwoods, knocking them over or pushing them out of the way.
Call me judgmental, but this alone tells me that he only cares about himself, his own pleasure. No, I don't understand his anti-hero status. Nor do I understand people who react viscerally and don't take the time to learn the facts.
This was a compilation of Heemeyer's writings and tape recordings as well as Brower's personal experiences and interviews with others who had interacted with Heemeyer, including the various officials who responded to the 911 calls. However, I still have questions. There are quite a few places that refer to what Heemeyer as thinking and/or how he was feeling. Those statements weren't qualified with any statements such as, "When he heard that, he must have been feeling ... " Bottom line: I would have appreciated it if Brower had differentiated between Heemeyer's own words and Brower's inferences.
Not indexed (unfortunately).
probably of most interest to people who have connections with Grand County
June 29, 2024
I definitely feel bad that before reading this book I was in the Marvin Heemeyer being an American Hero camp. There is a lot of misinformation about the Killdozer incident so I am glad there is a book to tell the whole story as it happened. While Brower does definitely have a bias, since this story did affect him, it does seem like he is being truthful with his experiences with Heemeyer. And he does have a right to be angry when his town was destroyed by a sociopathic man child and people defend him online. Glad I read this and learned the real story of the killdozer. Even if the government did fuck him over (it didn’t, but hypothetically if it had), that would not excuse committing an act of terrorism and endangering the lives of others. Fuck Marvin Heemeyer
June 20, 2022
Some interesting information, got long winded and preachy. I agreed with the author, but it got a little old.
February 24, 2019
There’s still a lot of emotion when this event is brought up with Granby people who were effected by his rampage. I can understand why. Many small businesses he destroyed did not have insurance for an act of terrorism.
Heemeyer made good money on his 2 parcels of land, other businesses he had & sold in CO. He was greedy and sounded like a bully! He could have taken the money he made,moved and been miserable somewhere else. Or used his intelligence and resourcefulness to do good things in this world.
Heemeyer made good money on his 2 parcels of land, other businesses he had & sold in CO. He was greedy and sounded like a bully! He could have taken the money he made,moved and been miserable somewhere else. Or used his intelligence and resourcefulness to do good things in this world.
July 14, 2024
As a victim of the 2004 rampage, Brower does a good job of capturing the events of Marvin Heemeyer’s
Attack on Granby. The book attempts to explain why Heemeyer did what he did, and his rationale behind his actions. While Brower does present the feelings and thoughts of the victims side of the story, it seemed that he struggled with providing unbiased rationale of Heemeyer’s side. Many times when Brower presented the evidence Heemeyer had left behind, there was usually some explanation as to why it was unreliable or incorrect. This kind of goes against the idea that everyone has their own personal truth, and their actions to pursue that truth are just as valid as any other (even if it is morally right or wrong).
All in all this book was very enjoyable and insightful, but do not approach it with the idea that it presents a whole factual truth. Having been a target of the rampage, it is quite possible that Brower consciously or unconsciously allowed his feelings to tint his perception of the facts. This can be observed when Brower takes creative license to describe what Heemeyer was doing in the privacy of his shop when creating the tank. As far as I know, there were no cameras or full-time audio recordings in the garage, so things like gagging on slim fast, endlessly watching certain films, and Heemeyer mumbling to himself cannot be confirmed. It seems that Brower took a significant amount of creative license when writing this book. This can also be seen when Brower tells the audience what Heemeyer is thinking at any given time when we do not have evidence of that.
Again, this was a good read to learn more about the events of the 2004 rampage. Do I think what Heemeyer did was right? No. Do I think that he was an insane man driven by irrational madness? Also no. Readers should just be aware of how personal experience can affect our perceptions of events and the world.
Attack on Granby. The book attempts to explain why Heemeyer did what he did, and his rationale behind his actions. While Brower does present the feelings and thoughts of the victims side of the story, it seemed that he struggled with providing unbiased rationale of Heemeyer’s side. Many times when Brower presented the evidence Heemeyer had left behind, there was usually some explanation as to why it was unreliable or incorrect. This kind of goes against the idea that everyone has their own personal truth, and their actions to pursue that truth are just as valid as any other (even if it is morally right or wrong).
All in all this book was very enjoyable and insightful, but do not approach it with the idea that it presents a whole factual truth. Having been a target of the rampage, it is quite possible that Brower consciously or unconsciously allowed his feelings to tint his perception of the facts. This can be observed when Brower takes creative license to describe what Heemeyer was doing in the privacy of his shop when creating the tank. As far as I know, there were no cameras or full-time audio recordings in the garage, so things like gagging on slim fast, endlessly watching certain films, and Heemeyer mumbling to himself cannot be confirmed. It seems that Brower took a significant amount of creative license when writing this book. This can also be seen when Brower tells the audience what Heemeyer is thinking at any given time when we do not have evidence of that.
Again, this was a good read to learn more about the events of the 2004 rampage. Do I think what Heemeyer did was right? No. Do I think that he was an insane man driven by irrational madness? Also no. Readers should just be aware of how personal experience can affect our perceptions of events and the world.
December 26, 2021
I was sickened reading Patrick Brower’s book Killdozer: The True Story of the Colorado Bulldozer Rampage. I remember watching the incident on television and feeling sick as emergency responders and townspeople were powerless to stop the violent attack.
I also was sickened that so many locals and non-locals rallied to the terrorist’s defense trying to justify his hatred-driven cowardly attack on the people of Granby. Brower described it as the Cult of the Killdozer. This event happened way back in 2004 before folk of a similar misinformed ilk supported other anti-US Government violence including the 1/6/21 insurrection at the US Capitol. The perp’s supporters often justified it with phrases suggesting victims deserved his violence. If that’s your feeling, you and I are not compatible. The white-washing of the perpetrator into a hero (paint a pile of poo and all you have is a painted pile of poo) was a portent of the fake news, alternate facts gumdrop rainforest that erodes our nation’s integrity to this day.
Generally, any nonfiction book that needs to describe itself as “true” makes me nervous. Brower, editor of The Sky Hi News, didn’t need to use that word. He had access to plenty of resources to craft an engaging, accurate narrative. He even used the perp’s own words, gleaned from confessional tapes, in the book. They appear in Italics but sometimes their usage was over-the-top as Brower proposed to get into the head of the perpetrator. The second half of the book was less interesting and more infuriating as he wrestled with the cultural interpretations of the incident. I prefer the first half of the book where Brower focused his attention on a credible version of events on and leading to June 4, 2004.
I also was sickened that so many locals and non-locals rallied to the terrorist’s defense trying to justify his hatred-driven cowardly attack on the people of Granby. Brower described it as the Cult of the Killdozer. This event happened way back in 2004 before folk of a similar misinformed ilk supported other anti-US Government violence including the 1/6/21 insurrection at the US Capitol. The perp’s supporters often justified it with phrases suggesting victims deserved his violence. If that’s your feeling, you and I are not compatible. The white-washing of the perpetrator into a hero (paint a pile of poo and all you have is a painted pile of poo) was a portent of the fake news, alternate facts gumdrop rainforest that erodes our nation’s integrity to this day.
Generally, any nonfiction book that needs to describe itself as “true” makes me nervous. Brower, editor of The Sky Hi News, didn’t need to use that word. He had access to plenty of resources to craft an engaging, accurate narrative. He even used the perp’s own words, gleaned from confessional tapes, in the book. They appear in Italics but sometimes their usage was over-the-top as Brower proposed to get into the head of the perpetrator. The second half of the book was less interesting and more infuriating as he wrestled with the cultural interpretations of the incident. I prefer the first half of the book where Brower focused his attention on a credible version of events on and leading to June 4, 2004.
August 26, 2018
I remember when the story of the Bulldozer rampage had reached the nightly news. It was an oddly fascinating story that fell out of the media spotlight quite quickly and faded into obscurity.
A few years ago, the story came back in mythical form through memes, and chain letter like stories shared on Facebook, message boards and dissucsion groups. Like many, I was enthralled by the swelling undergournd narritive about Marv Heeymeyer, who was hailed as an anti-hero who took it upon himself, to exact revenge on all those who had wronged him, while taking great care not to physically injure any one, only targeting their property in order to inflict financial damage upon his aggressors, who were empowered by the government, who brought Heeymeyer to finacial ruin.
Until I read this book, I felt that the story was probably far more complex than the myths that had been circulating the internet, and I can say that Patrick Brower does an excellent job at providing points of view from boths sides of this event as well as busting the Myth of Heeymeyer the anti-hero.
As a reporter who had covered the court proceedings and council meetings that led up to the disaster, Brower is the perfect person to cover this story. Even though Brower, a victim of the rampage himself could have evicerated the public image of Marv Heeymeyer, I felt he gave a fair accounting of his dealings, offering many different perspectives of how Marv was percived in Grand Lake, sharing stories of legitimate heroism when confronted with a snow mobiling mishap, as well as the darker side when his penchant for fueding with his neighboors gets the better of him.
A few years ago, the story came back in mythical form through memes, and chain letter like stories shared on Facebook, message boards and dissucsion groups. Like many, I was enthralled by the swelling undergournd narritive about Marv Heeymeyer, who was hailed as an anti-hero who took it upon himself, to exact revenge on all those who had wronged him, while taking great care not to physically injure any one, only targeting their property in order to inflict financial damage upon his aggressors, who were empowered by the government, who brought Heeymeyer to finacial ruin.
Until I read this book, I felt that the story was probably far more complex than the myths that had been circulating the internet, and I can say that Patrick Brower does an excellent job at providing points of view from boths sides of this event as well as busting the Myth of Heeymeyer the anti-hero.
As a reporter who had covered the court proceedings and council meetings that led up to the disaster, Brower is the perfect person to cover this story. Even though Brower, a victim of the rampage himself could have evicerated the public image of Marv Heeymeyer, I felt he gave a fair accounting of his dealings, offering many different perspectives of how Marv was percived in Grand Lake, sharing stories of legitimate heroism when confronted with a snow mobiling mishap, as well as the darker side when his penchant for fueding with his neighboors gets the better of him.
September 10, 2020
Read this book about a month after learning the book existed. Really never heard of this incident but, after staying in Granby for several days for the 2017/2018 new year, we really liked the area and I wanted to learn about this tragedy. I won’t spoil the ending if you never heard the news stories but this was definitely an interesting and complex look at sociology, psychology, isolation and the “tough guy” independent mid-west male mentality. Also, it show the difficulties of an individual navigating complex land, utility easement, small town politics, and good-old-boy issues. The book is biased and written by a victim but the author is also a journalist and provides his bias/viewpoints clearly. I still think this is a great in-depth and sad step by step explanation of the issues leading up to the incident and it describes each part of the incident. This book only had some black and white photos so I was so glad I was able to recently watch the documentary “Tread” which is the same story- just in video format.
March 29, 2025
A microcosm of the cycle of violence - conspiracy - split realities that our society continues to grapple with. This excellently compiled and produced work of nonfiction is likely the definitive record and will continue to convince those who are genuinely interested for decades to come.
That this book exists is a positive sign to me: the final and most complete history isn't the endless vapid blog posts from pro-Heemeyer reactionaries but this work. Perhaps the proper end to these shocking and unbelievable cycles - Sandy Hook, Luigi Mangione, Butler PA, Jan 6 - are these sober works of nonfiction that will outlast the ignorant reactions of the misinformed.
That this book exists is a positive sign to me: the final and most complete history isn't the endless vapid blog posts from pro-Heemeyer reactionaries but this work. Perhaps the proper end to these shocking and unbelievable cycles - Sandy Hook, Luigi Mangione, Butler PA, Jan 6 - are these sober works of nonfiction that will outlast the ignorant reactions of the misinformed.
February 11, 2026
It was an interesting account of the whacko who drove an armored bulldozer through the town of Granby in 2004. I was not going to recommend it until the last few chapters. The author started looking at the interesting questions of why so many people tried to turn this crazy person into a "small individual fighting against the corrupt government". Even before reading the book I believed this person was the type to avoid at all costs, until he flipped out. I cannot swallow the "corrupt government made him do it" just as I cannot swallow the domestic abuser painted as being "made to do the abuse". There is no excuse for these things in a society that has any hope.
January 15, 2018
This book provides interesting details, and many fascinating photographs, about the events that took place in Granby, CO seventeen years ago. The author also went to great effort to address the ongoing cult hero status of the man who attacked the town, weaving anecdotes and fact-checking throughout the narrative, which at times makes the reading difficult. That said, I agree with the author - there is no excuse for any rampage at this scale, and I would add that unstable mental conditions are one of the most difficult, prevalent challenges that we face as a society in the 21st century.
August 13, 2019
A pretty good book about a very strange occurrence. It's been 15 years since Marvin Heemeyer built his modified dozer and took out parts of Granby in retaliation for his perceived mistreatment by the town and some of it's citizens. Learning the backstory was interesting as was details on the dozer itself. Lots of discussion about some embracing this person as an American Hero and Patriot (the capitals are not mine). To me he didn't get his way and was just unstable enough to really pitch a hissy. Recommended to those who may remember the event.
February 12, 2018
Well researched, well organized and well written. The style of short chapters with catchy headings was a great way to tell this story. On the surface, the story is about an angry man who tried to destroy the town of Granby using a weaponized and hardened bulldozer, but its broader message is one of caution in "post-truth" America, where opinions are formed with little or no regard for objective facts.
October 19, 2018
This story is really something, hard to believe that it both happened and that I hadn't heard of it. The author does a great job setting the event up and describing it, although the last section of the book seems to drag on. He makes his point well, and then proceeds to make it again and again without much variation. Overall very worth the read!
April 5, 2020
Well written true book about a paranoid, extremely crazy guy who turned a bulldozer into an armored tank to exact *revenge* on a city and on various people he deludedly thinks have cheated or dissed or dismissed him.
Wow, and after it all, there were folks who think he is a hero. They are full up with the fake news battlecry.
Wow, and after it all, there were folks who think he is a hero. They are full up with the fake news battlecry.
January 3, 2021
As I read the prologue, it was clear to me that author Patrick Brower had an axe to grind. Overall, the book was fairly objective. Brower, who at the time was editor of the newspaper in Granby where this incident took place, provides interesting and specific details of the rampage, which no doubt was the result of painstaking research and interviewing.
November 25, 2024
The ending kinda dragged on and almost felt like a textbook when he started defining an antihero and the way false info is spread. It was a thorough explanation of the events and his own personal connection made it more interesting.
January 24, 2018
A very compelling portrait of Marvin Heemeyer, as told through interactions with the author himself, as well as Heemeyer's friends and acquaintanceships.
March 5, 2023
Quite fascinating. This man is a nut job.
July 6, 2023
An excellent, well written, level reporting book about the rampage that took place in Granby, Colorado.
Brower brings the complete facts to light and revels the actual issues of anger from one individual that led to the town's destruction.
Well worth the time to read.
Brower brings the complete facts to light and revels the actual issues of anger from one individual that led to the town's destruction.
Well worth the time to read.
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