Charges Armed RobberyEscaped Number 432 Caught February 22, 1994 | Added November 23, 1990 Cause of death Lung cancer Name Paddy Mitchell | |
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Full Name Patrick Michael Mitchell Died January 14, 2007(2007-01-14) (aged 64)Butner, North Carolina | ||
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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 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 15 years, where he remarried and had a son. During that time, he often flew back to the U.S. to visit banks. While at large, Mitchell's case was featured on Unsolved Mysteries. 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—was named for a stopwatch Reid wore. They were known for non-violent methods and politeness to victims. The gang's story is recorded in several television documentaries and books, including Mitchell's autobiography, This Bank Robber's Life, which he wrote from prison.
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 Center in Butner, N.C. in the prison hospital at age 64. He is survived by 2 sons, and two grandsons.