In what was referred to as the Colorado rampage, Heemeyer and his “Killdozer,” the name given to his modified bulldozer, destroyed half a tourist-friendly Colorado mountain town. Why did Heemeyer do this? To understand the Killdozer story, we have to pinpoint the moment that tipped off Heemeyer. Let’s get into it.

However, many people, like Granby resident Christie Baker, claimed that Heemeyer was an unfriendly person. Baker claimed that her husband was threatened by Heemeyer after refusing to pay $124 for a muffler repair, according to The Denver Post.

The sewer company informed Heemeyer that he would have to put a 100-foot sewage line and lift station into the property at his own expense before they would annex the property into the sewer district, which is standard practice in the United States. This would have cost Heemeyer around $70,000 to install (via Academic Accelerator). Heemeyer could have also purchased a septic tank, which was a less expensive alternative.

In the book “KILLDOZER: The True Story of the Colorado Bulldozer Rampage,” author Patrick F. Brower reports that Heeymer believed this “injustice” was “extortion by government fiat.” Discouraged, Heemeyer instead opened a muffler repair shop on the property.

On behalf of the family, Joe Docheff asked Heemeyer if they could buy the land. Heemeyer said he would sell it for $250,000, which the Docheffs offered several days later. Heemeyer claimed to have had the property appraised and discovered that it was worth $375,000. After the family offered $350,000, Heemeyer claimed another appraisal brought the value of the land to $450,000.

Furious, Heemeyer publicly campaigned against the plant, attempting to create a movement based on environmental grounds. Hearings about the construction were packed, thanks to Heemeyer’s canvassing, with the public voicing their concerns. The Docheffs addressed the concerns by taking measures against dust, noise, and environmental issues. Opposition dwindled, and the construction of the plant was moving forward.

Heemeyer rejected Docheff’s offer. Instead, Heemeyer pumped the sewage from his filled septic tank with a gasoline pump into an irrigation ditch behind his property. Heemeyer also tried to connect to a neighbor’s sewer line and was caught and fined $2,500. Ordered to fix the connection sewer line he caused, Heemeyer protested, calling the requirements ordered by the judge a “form of terrorism.” An attorney at the judgment reported Heemeyer muttering, “I’m just gonna bulldoze this whole place to the ground.”

After the bulldozer failed to sell and the sewer line created more issues for Heemeyer, he sold his muffler shop and the land to The Trash Co. for $400,000. Before leaving the premises, Heemeyer built a wall in his shop where he would illegally live and build his Killdozer. “It’s interesting how I never got caught,” Heemeyer wrote in a note (via Summit Daily).

The Killdozer inside was also modified. The cockpit had two monitors for Heemeyer to watch through a video camera that was mounted on the exterior for visibility, covered by a three-inch bulletproof plastic. Fans and an air conditioner were installed to keep Heemeyer cool during his rampage. The inside was crafted in a way that Heemeyer would seal himself inside with no way to get out.

Authorities tried to destroy the Granby Killdozer multiple times, but the modified bulldozer was resistant to small-arms fire and explosives. For two hours and seven minutes, Heemeyer rampaged through the town. The governor recognized that the Granby Colorado bulldozer was unstoppable and considered authorizing the National Guard to attack with Apache helicopters and anti-tank missiles (via All That’s Interesting). Luckily for everyone, Heemeyer had wedged himself in the basement of a store and could not move.

The Killdozer was torn apart and sold across dozens of scrap yards, according to state officials. Many came to the town looking for pieces of the Killdozer to remember the absurd moment that would quickly become a subject of fascination in the true crime world.

While violence is never the answer, many look at Heemeyer as a folk hero. From Netflix’s Killdozer documentary, “Thread,” to Killdozer memes and Killdozer shirts with Marvin Heemeyer’s quote about reasonable men doing unreasonable things, this strange moment in history has become a cultural touchstone for many.