The Beatle Bandit: A Serial Bank Robber's Deadly Heist, a Cross-Country Manhunt, and the Insanity Plea that Shook the Nation

by Nate Hendley

The sensational true story of how a bank robber killed a man in a wild shootout, sparking a national debate around gun control and the death penalty. On July 24, 1964, twenty-four-year-old Matthew Kerry Smith disguised himself with a mask and a Beatle wig, hoisted a semi-automatic rifle, then held up a bank in North York, Ontario. The intelligent but troubled son of a businessman and mentally ill mother, Smith was a navy veteran with a young Indigenous wife and a hazy plan for violent revolution. Outside the bank, Smith was confronted by Jack Blanc, a former member of the Canadian and Israeli armies, who brandished a revolver. During a wild shootout, Blanc was killed, and Smith escaped--only to become the object of the largest manhunt in the history of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force. Dubbed The Beatle Bandit, Smith was eventually captured, tried, and sentenced to hang. His murderous rampage had tragic consequences for multiple families and fueled a national debate about the death penalty, gun control, and the insanity defense.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Canada, Audiobook

216 pages, Paperback

Published December 14, 2021

About the author

My name is Nate Hendley and I am a Toronto-based journalist, writer, and speaker.

My latest book, Atrocity on the Atlantic is a full account of the torpoedo attack on Canadian hospital ship, Llandovery Castle, in the First World War. Sinking hospital ships violated international treaties, so the sub commander had his deck gun shell lifeboats containing survivors to kill any witnesses to his war crime. One lifeboat with two-dozen survivors escaped to bear witness.

The sinking was condemned by the public, press, and politicians, around the world. In 1921, the attack was prosecuted at the Leipzig War Crimes Trials (the little-known attempt to bring German war criminals to justice after the Great War). In its ruling, the Leipzig court set a legal precedent that guided subsequent war crime prosecutions, including the Nuremberg Trial.

Sadly, for all the impact it had, the Llandovery Castle tragedy soon faded from memory.

As published by Dundurn Press, my book details the attack, profiles medical staff on board the ship, and discusses the long wake of a forgotten war crime that continues to influence international law.

My last book, The Beatle Bandit, was about Matthew Kerry Smith, a troubled young man who robbed a Toronto-area bank in 1964 disguised in a Halloween mask and a "Beatles" wig. A bank patron tried to intervene and was killed in a gunfight with Smith. This murderous heist fueled a nationwide debate about guns, capital punishment, and the death penalty.

As published by Dundurn Press, The Beatle Bandit won the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Non-Fiction 2022. It was also nominated for the Toronto Heritage Book Awards 2022.

I have written several other books, primarily in the true-crime genre. Previous books have focused on organized crime, Bonnie and Clyde, gang bosses Al Capone and Dutch Schultz, wrongful murder convictions, and cons and hoaxes, among other topics.

For more information about my books and background, visit my website at http://www.natehendley.ca

I host a blog, which can be viewed at https://crimestory.wordpress.com/

I am a member of the Canadian Freelance Guild (CFG) and the Crime Writers of Canada (CWC).

I live next-door to Jeanne, world's greatest girlfriend.

I do public presentations based on my books. For more information, contact me at: nhendley@sympatico.ca.

Reviews

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish to extend my thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the ARC, a well-researched, true account of The Beatle Bandit. The book was well written by Nate Hendley, an author of factual, mostly forgotten Canadian crime stories.

This gives a dispassionate, unbiased account of a little-remembered crime that was a sensation in the Toronto area and the press in 1964. It lead to the biggest manhunt in the history of the police department. The story involves a young man who had pulled off a couple of earlier bank robberies. He was the son of a successful businessman and a schizophrenic mother. His psychiatric examinations were divided between a diagnosis of schizophrenia or a psychopathic personality.

In the summer of 1964, dressed in a bizarre disguise of a mask and Beatle wig, he entered a bank in North York with a semi-automatic rifle. Exiting the bank with a large amount of stolen cash, he was confronted by a former Canadian and Israeli military man. This vigilante obtained a bank pistol and there was a shoot-out on the street. This man was killed in the bloody battle, the victim of horrific wounds, to the horror of observers in the street. The bank robber made a sloppy getaway and was finally apprehended after a wide police search.

The events are reported in a factual, straightforward manner, devoid of sensationalism and elaboration. Statements and conversations were those on record at the time. Much of his twisted thoughts and behaviour were obtained from his criminal associates. We learn of the long-term impact on the families of both the bank robber and his victim.

This violent crime and the subsequent court case led to nationwide debates on the death penalty, the insanity defense, gun control, and prison conditions. These debates have been an ongoing process, and some changes were eventually made.

Recommended for those interested in intriguing true crime reporting and warped criminal behaviour and thoughts.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrator actually said that when the Beatle bandit shot "him" it blew off half of his brain and that was likely what killed "him"
REALLY? Ya think that's what did it? Huh

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good Canadian true crime story about a mentally ill young bank robber from back in the early 60s. Matthew Smith had been obsessed with crime since he was a young boy. Once he was old enough to be on his own, he began his criminal career in earnest by planning out and committing bank robberies fairly successfully. At one bank, he ended up in a shootout with customer Jack Blanc and killed him. He used the proceeds to pay hangers on to live with him and to do his bidding and stay with him at the home he purchased with stolen money. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Nate Hendley and the publisher.

[Ryan Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Beatle Bandit by Nate Handley is a comprehensive deep dive into a gun-toting one-man crime spree from 1964 by Matthew Kerry Smith. Due to his bank-robbery attire, Smith was dubbed 'The Beatle Bandit' by the Canadian media, but as a solo artist, Matthew was quite a successful bandit, albeit for a few troublesome civilians that were killed whilst he carried out his crimes.!

In an interesting criminal character analysis, Nate Hendley takes apart the robber's personality. Matthew Kerry Smith was a bright but mentally disturbed, who launched his bank raids as some sort of misguided attempt to galvanise the public, begin a revolution, and (laughably) overthrow the government. Funny, if it wasn't for his victims. One in the particular victim was military veteran Jack Blanc, who's died in a gunfight with the robber. Following an enormous manhunt, Smith was caught, jailed and given a death sentence. When police searched his home, Smith had an arsenal of personal weapons and even gained a small property empire from his proceeds of crime. The crimes themselves gained media attention and caused Canadian gun laws to be revised.

The book is based on court transcripts, police documents, extensive first-hand interviews, media accounts, and other sources. Nate Hendley tells this story brilliantly, and as a fan of The Beatles, it wasn't a case I had heard of. It's an interesting sell on the story but as a reader of true crime, I am well aware of the monickers the media give to serial killers, murderers, & even terrorists (the ISIS Beatle bombers springs to mind) Nate Hendley is a great storyteller and tells this true crime story as it should be; facts, stats, first-hand witnesses, and news reports of the time. Very enjoyable!

[Gordon Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1964 my father worked on Goddard St, just around the corner from a plaza on Wilmington and Overbrook. A plaza was on the north-east corner with a Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in it. That year a man disguised in a mask and wearing a "Beatle's" wig robbed the plaza, killing a man in the process.

I remember it being a huge front page story talked about around our dinner table, so when I saw that Nate Hendley wrote a book about it called the Beatle Bandit, it was a must read for me.

The story of the robbery and the others that followed it very interesting. The reader can see how well researched the book was in providing in depth detail of the crimes and all the people from both sides involved. I never realized other robberies followed or the fate of the man who executed them.

A well told, involved, true story.

[Paul Sutter]

Anything with the word Beatle in the title should pique a lot of interest. But what will pique even more interest is the fact THE BEATLE BANDIT is so well written. Nate Hendley has written many true crime books in the past. There is an art to this method of storytelling, and the author certainly has done an excellent job of presenting a most fascinating crime story.
It revolves around Matthew Kerry Smith, a man who one time was in the Royal Canadian Navy. He seemed like someone who was not a candidate to become not only a notorious bank robber, but also a killer. He was fascinated with guns, and one day decided he would hit a bank in North York in 1964. Wearing a Charles de Gaulle mask and a wig that made him resemble one of the Beatles, he entered the CIBC branch with a guitar case. First, customers and staff thought it was some sort of publicity stunt, as he was wearing a t-shirt with the letters CKEY, a popular radio station at the time. But it was no joke when he pulled a gun from the case and wielded it, demanding all the money in the bank.
Banks at the time were allowed to have loaded guns on the premises, to defend themselves. After terrorizing the people in the bank, he left with a haul of more than $25,000. One man in the bank, Jack Blanc who was an army veteran, was given the gun by the bank’s manager and followed Smith out into the street. He began shooting wildly, but Smith did not miss with his return fire. He practically took off Blanc’s head, killing him instantly. The bank heist now was more than that, killing a man, police on the lookout for the killer.
Police pursued Smith as he had more bank robberies in his arsenal, meeting people who eventually knew of his crimes, but did not turn him in. One girl who became his girlfriend, even bought a car from someone, and it turned into a getaway car from another bank job.
Hendley paints a picture of a man obsessed with guns and a sort of new Canadian order. There was mental illness in his family, and when police did arrest him finally and he was put on trial, there was a sort of insanity plea his defence team used, to try and paint a picture of mental illness instead of cold blooded killer.
Smith was found guilty and he did face the death penalty, until Canadian laws were changed, as well as gun laws. It makes for great historical reading of a crime spree nearly sixty years old, definitely one that caused tension and terror in the Toronto area.

[Jess Hennessey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to meet Nate at Fan Expo this summer following the true crime in Toronto panel. I had never heard of the Beatle Bandit case. This was book was well researched, detailed and easy to read. I now plan to pick up Nate's other books.

[Madeline Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. This is such a fascinating case in Canadian history, and yet I’ve never heard of it. Even my mom, who was living in North York at the time of the robbery has no memory of this. I find that underrated aspect of it as interesting as the crime itself. This was very well written, very engaging and well put together. I also really appreciate the work that Paul Truster put into the initial research of this book. His work allowed the narrative to be what it is. And what a fine narrative it is!

Thanks to Dundurn Press for a gifted copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 4 out of 5]

The real strength of this book is the author’s telling this story in the light of Canada in the 1960s. Twenty-four-year-old Matthew Kerry Smith donned a Beatle wig and walked into a North York, Ontario, bank during the Beatle craze. In a day when few Canadians owned a gun, Smith walked into the bank with a semi-automatic rifle. He had painted the end of the barrel pink and cut a hole in a guitar case, allowing the pink barrel to protrude. Anyone noticing the strange young man would think it was a joke.

However, the outcome was no joking matter. A retired military sergeant, Jack Blanc, grabbed a gun (from a bank officer)* and started shooting. Blanc didn’t know that there were only four bullets in the gun. Blanc was a sitting duck when Smith opened fire, trying to escape.

Then, the author steps back and describes Smith’s life before that disastrous day. Smith was the son of a successful businessman and a mentally-ill mother. She was later diagnosed as a schizophrenic. Because of the erratic life in the family, the couple divorced, and Mr. Smith took the kids. Young Matt was terrified of being mentally ill. It colored everything about his life. Young Matt jumped from one interest to another until he centered on guns and revolution.

Young Matt was able to keep his life together enough to get into the Canadian Navy (and was soon discharged). Later, he connected with a young First Nations wife, a group of hangers-on, and vague plans for rebellion. Amazingly, Smith was successful in two early bank robberies, and he used the money to buy a house and support his wife and others.

After the third robbery, Smith escaped and became the object of the biggest manhunt in Toronto Police history. Called “the Beatle Bandit,” Smith was captured, tried, and sentenced to hang. However, because Smith’s mental illness was discussed extensively in court, it created a firestorm of interest. Some wanted to hang Smith, while others thought hanging a mentally ill man was wrong.

Canadians had a national debate about gun control, guns in banks (as defense weapons), the death penalty, and the insanity defense — all because of this case. Eventually, Smith was sent to prison. However, he committed suicide while in prison.

Several reviewers have mentioned that the author wrote this book in a similar vein to Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. Early in the book, the author stated there wasn’t a word written that hadn’t come from court documents, magazine or newspaper articles, or interviews.

WINNER of the 2022 Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book.

* At that time, Canadian banks kept loaded guns in the bank. However, employees were told not to engage with robbers because the money was ensured. After Smith went to trial and this point was discussed widely, banks decided guns were not helpful.

[Ryan Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Beatle Bandit by Nate Hendley is a comprehensive deep dive into a gun-toting one-man crime spree from 1964 by Matthew Kerry Smith. Due to his bank-robbery attire, Smith was dubbed 'The Beatle Bandit' by the Canadian media, but as a solo artist, Matthew was quite a successful bandit, albeit for a few troublesome civilians that were killed whilst he carried out his crimes.

In an interesting criminal character analysis, Nate Hendley takes apart the robber's personality. Matthew Kerry Smith was a bright but mentally disturbed young man, who launched his bank raids as some sort of misguided attempt to galvanise the public, begin a revolution, and (laughably) overthrow the government. Funny, if it wasn't for his victims. One in the particular victim was military veteran Jack Blanc, who's died in a gunfight with the robber. Following an enormous manhunt, Smith was caught, jailed and given a death sentence. When police searched his home, Smith had an arsenal of personal weapons and even gained a small property empire from his proceeds of crime. The crimes themselves gained media attention and caused Canadian gun laws to be revised. The book is based on court transcripts, police documents, extensive first-hand interviews, media accounts, and other sources. Nate Handley tells this story brilliantly, and as a fan of The Beatles, it wasn't a case I had heard of. It's an interesting sell on the story but as a reader of true crime, I am well aware of the monickers the media give to serial killers, murderers, & even terrorists (the ISIS Beatle bombers springs to mind) Nate Hendley is a great storyteller and tells this true crime story as it should be; facts, stats, first-hand witnesses, and news reports of the time. Nate Hendley is a journalist and author. His other books include The Boy on the Bicycle, The Big Con, and Bonnie and Clyde; A Biography. All worth checking out, I think!

[Laurence · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just finished The Beatle Bandit and I found it absolutely fascinating, (although I’m not as sympathetic to the bank robber and killer as the author appears to be). It really is a good enough story to be a movie and touched lots of nerves for me…after all, the protagonists of my documentary about the Holocaust were also Irgunists who were on the Altalena, just like the dead victim who serves as a doppelgänger to the protagonist of this tale. I visited the area in my youth and have been to the shopping area—and probably to the same bank to cash a travellers check or change money. I was most struck that the killer was the son of a CBC producer turned realtor, in other words the criminal was in fact an upper-class WASP who had chosen that bank branch to rob because he thought rich Jews put their money there…WASP anti-semitism on its face. In addition, the book give an excellent account of the impact of 1960s revolutionary violence, the DeGaulle & FLQ connection to Quebec separatism, and includes tidbits like Neil Young’s father as newspaper columnist covering the story. The descriptions of the bank robber's Manson-like house with lots of girls and hangers-on is like something out of "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," simply unforgettable…plus there are serious debates about schizophrenia and the death penalty. A gripping true crime tale with serious social significance--and very relevant today.

[Vienna Manzanares · Rating 3 out of 5]

This true crime telling of a relatively unknown Canadian crime is detailed, informative, entertaining, and well-written. The development of the story is done well, starting with the central crime then working in Smith’s history as it relates to his other deviances. Most of the details in each chapter are relevant to its topic and help build the foundation for Smith's life and the external elements/influences that aided his actions. There are, however, moments when there are irrelevant/unnecessary details that serve little purpose to the story. The writing itself is expressive and keeps the reader invested while remaining unbiased and accurate to the facts. The provided dialogue is not overdone and helps bring to life Smith's actions and deminer, seen in his quotes as well as those from other witnesses/associated people. I particularly appreciated the final chapter wherein the author gives the reasons for uncovering this crime and why it is significant to understand Smith and the influences, reprimands, and repercussions of his actions. Overall, this is a good true crime/nonfiction read that will leave you informed and slightly baffled by human nature/behavior. I recommend it to anyone looking for a short, easy, yet entertaining read

[Kid Ferrous · Rating 5 out of 5]

On July 24th 1964, Matthew Kerry Smith, wearing a Beatle wig, burst into a Toronto bank toting a semi-automatic rifle - with a barrel painted pink to disguise its purpose in a guitar case - escaping with over $25,000 after a street gunfight which claimed the life of a local man, Jack Blanc, and led to a violent crime spree and a national manhunt. When Smith was eventually caught, his crimes raised wider issues of gun control, mental health and the death penalty in Canada.
The tale of the robbery itself is riveting and lucidly told; many sentences made me catch my breath, and this quality of writing is consistent throughout the book. A word of warning, the details of Jack Blanc’s and others’ injuries are uncompromising. Nate Hendley writes with forensic clarity as he describes the robbery and its aftermath, offering a lurid insight into Smith’s life and motivations. The impact of Blanc’s death on his family and community is touchingly told.
Illustrated with photographs of Smith, the crime scene and his trial, “The Beatle Bandit” is a fascinating, brutal, unflinching true crime story, shorn of sensationalism, which will thrill you and anger you in equal measure.

[Virginia Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew Kerry Smith, or "the Beatle Bandit" as he was dubbed in the Canadian press, was the 24 year old son of a respected Toronto businessman and a mentally ill mother. On July 24, 1964, he disguised himself with a mask and a Beatle wig, grabbed a semi-automatic rifle and robbed a bank in the suburb of North York. Fleeing the bank, Smith was confronted by Jack Blanc, a former soldier, brandishing a revolver. In the resultant shootout, Blanc was killed, and Smith escaped becoming the object of a major manhunt. His eventual capture and trial fueled a national debate about the death penalty, gun control, and the insanity defense,.

While the writing style of this book is a but pedestrian, it is well researched and tells a fascinating piece of Toronto and Canadian legal history.

[Solange Guillen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to attend Hendley's talk at my local TPL branch. It was a great experience to listen to and to meet the author.
Highly recommended! 👏

"A psychopath has a deficient ethical and moral sense. The individual does not recognize the ordinary code of ethics that governs the behaviour of other members of the society in which he is living. He acts on his own completely. He tends to overreact to minor stimuli. He is devoid of feelings for others. He couldn't care less about the tragedy he brings on when he shoots another individual. He is shiftless, constantly changing his job and the area in which he is living."

"The prospect of death had done nothing to tamp down his fantasy of violent revolution."

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read The Beatle Bandit and really enjoyed the book! I grew up with the story, having grown up a few blocks from the CIBC bank in Bathurst Manor where the robbery and murder took place. I was also present at the robbery. I was 20 months old when my babysitter was pushing me in a baby carriage through the Wilmington Plaza parking lot when she saw what looked like a person dressed as a clown walking into the bank. Later, when she was in the park right next to the bank, she heard gunshots around her. She was terrified and ran with me to hide behind the nearby school and didn't come out until it was safe to do so.

I highly recommend this book. It is very well-written and well-researched. I learned a lot about what was a very important piece of history of Canada.  

[Mike Barat · Rating 5 out of 5]

After In Cold Blood this is the best True Crime book I have ever read. This is just my opinion, and unlike In Cold Blood this book is excellent right from the start. This is a book that has everything in it to catch your interest. It's not only about one true crime, It's partly about criminology, Psychology, sociology, the banking industry, and the legal system of Canada in the early 1960s, and dysfunctional families. And yet this book is only slightly more than 200 pages. This book has taught me things about Canada that I never knew before, for that reason alone it's worth reading. Writer Nate Henley doesn't waste time he just get straight to the point, which is excellent for inpatient four old's like myself. I know I didn't give any details about the story. That was done by design, because I would much rather that someone find out for themselves by reading the book.

[Vikki Bullock · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a true crime story about Matthew Smith, a bank robber who sparked a man hunt and instigated debate on the death penalty and gun control. The story is detailed and thoroughly investigated, your interest will be held until the last page.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to Dundurn Press and Nate Hendley for the opportunity to read this book and offer an honest review.

[Justin Leegsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having lived a good portion of my life a couple KMs away from Bathurst Manor, this book was an amazing insight into a tragic event I don’t think many people outside of that neighborhood know about anymore. I certainly had no clue, which made this book a quick engrossing read.

Anyone who likes reading about Canadian crime will love this book. Highly recommended for that reason.

[John Winkler]

TRUTHFULNESS IMPACTS THE CREDIBILITY OF AN AUTHOR—whether they can be believed or trusted.
I haven't read the book yet, but why would true crime writer Nate Hendley, author of "The Beatle Bandit" and Lorimer Books, continue to publish the "Black Donnellys" as nonfiction when Federal Court Judge Justice McHaffie has concluded that it contains fiction?

[Ron Baumer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting true crime novel set in Canada. I found the story to be intriguing and really held my attention. The author does an outstanding job of of telling the story and to maintain your interest.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Jim Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great true crime book from Nate Hendley.

[Paul Konikoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was five years old and living literally across the road from Wilmington Plaza when the events took place. I don’t have any real memories of it, due to my age. But we lived right next door to the Blancs. This was a story that all of us in the neighbourhood grew up with. It was great to finally get the details about the robbery and the events that followed.

[Cori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine read-can't really offer up more on it.

[Aaron Badgley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely well researched and fascinating read. Very well done.

[Steve Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good example of why gun control methods will never screen out all bad actors. well researched, good paced writing, a worth while read.

[Lisa Nikolits · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating account about Matthew Kerry Smith, aka The Beatle Bandit, Ontario bank robber in 1964. Nate Hendley not only brings the story to live with cinematic vividness, he explores the social mores of the time and gives us cause to ponder nature versus nurture, mental health and morality. I also really enjoyed the ripple effect of crime and how Smith's actions affected the lives of so many.
Plus, I learned quite a few facts about Canada that I didn't know!