REOPENED: Life on the Run

Summary

Cold Case Files: REOPENED – Life on the Run

Host: Paula Barros
Release Date: July 3, 2025
Produced by: A&E / PodcastOne

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Introduction to the Case

In the episode titled "REOPENED: Life on the Run," Cold Case Files delves into the intricate story of Richard Bannister, a fugitive whose criminal activities spanned over two decades. This case intertwines elements of drug trafficking, identity theft, and relentless investigative efforts that ultimately led to Bannister's capture after years of evasion.

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Early Life and Community Integration

Narrator: The story begins in 1974 when Richard Bannister owned an import-export store in New Mexico. His operations drew international attention when, on November 30, 1974, Bolivian cocaine was discovered concealed within wooden statues he imported.

Special Agent Reuben Gomez (03:07): "One of the statues between the base and the actual statue itself, there was a little corner of plastic sticking out. It was pretty obvious that something was inside that thing."

Upon inspection, authorities found a staggering $2.2 million worth of cocaine hidden in the statues. Bannister attempted to evade prosecution by replacing the cocaine with a similar-looking white powder, allowing the package to proceed to its destination unchecked.

Special Agent Reuben Gomez (03:29): "So then they opened the other three statues, and sure enough, each one of them was packed with cocaine. And I think, I believe it came out to a total of 22 pounds."

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Bannister's Disappearance and Identity Theft

After his arrest, Bannister's bail was set at $75,000 but was later reduced to $20,000 with a 10% provision, requiring only $2,000 for release. On December 26, 1974, Bannister absconded, vanishing without a trace.

Fast forward to the early 1990s, Dick Lepley, a respected bike shop owner in northern Pennsylvania, discovers discrepancies in his credit report.

Dick Lepley (05:07): "Lepley had a good relationship with a banker, and he called me while he was putting the loan together and said, you ought to take a look at your credit. There's some real weird stuff showing up on it."

Lepley's Social Security number had been fraudulently used by someone named Neil Murdoch from Crested Butte, Colorado, leading to significant financial and reputational damage.

Dick Lepley (05:49): "The interesting thing was Murdoch's name actually supplanted mine on all my credit reports. It was kind of like I was the guy that didn't exist or I was the bad guy."

After three years of struggling to reclaim his identity, Lepley contacts the Social Security Administration's investigative unit.

Special Agent Ray Plummery (06:23): "I received a call from Dick in January of 1998. He indicated to me that there was a person in Crested Butte, Colorado, that was using his Social Security number."

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Investigative Breakthrough

Agent Plummery initiates a background check on Neil Murdoch but finds no substantial information. A visit to the Crested Butte Police Department yields conflicting accounts about Murdoch's background, raising suspicions.

Special Agent Ray Plummery (07:09): "And he said, oh, yeah, he's lived here for 20 plus years and used to run a bike shop and he works in the health food store now. And nice guy, kind of one of the leading citizens of town. And I'm thinking to myself, this doesn't add up."

Determined to uncover the truth, Plummery confronts Murdoch (Bannister) at his workplace.

Special Agent Ray Plummery (09:39): "Well, I told him that we had a report that the Social Security number he'd been using belongs to someone else. And he seemed taken aback by that... It's very strange. I don't know how to respond to."

Upon requesting Murdoch's fingerprints and photographs, discrepancies emerge when the health food store provides a different Social Security number.

Special Agent Ray Plummery (10:44): "And up popped a warrant on Richard Bannister."

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The Manhunt Intensifies

With newfound evidence linking Murdoch to the fugitive Bannister, investigators deploy U.S. Marshal Ron Halvorson to apprehend him.

Deputy Halvorson (11:45): "I was approached about 1 o' clock in the afternoon saying there's a sheriff down in Crested Butte Colorado who has information on a possible fugitive locate of ours."

Despite meticulous planning, Bannister evades capture, slipping away as Halvorson arrives too late.

Special Agent Reuben Gomez (12:33): "There was frustration on all the agencies parts because it appeared that we'd had an opportunity to possibly apprehend him and it didn't happen."

Attempts to gather information from the tight-knit Crested Butte community yield minimal cooperation until a local woman provides a crucial tip about Bannister's whereabouts.

Deputy Halvorson (13:15): "She saw Richard Bannister get in the car with a friend of hers at about 7 o' clock in the morning and she said they looked like they were... headed to Four Corners, Colorado."

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Final Capture After Decades

The pursuit leads investigators to Taos, New Mexico, where Bannister adopts the alias Grafton Mahler. After extensive surveillance and community inquiries, Bannister is finally located in a local thrift store.

Deputy Alfonso (17:05): "Walked into the store, and Grafton Mahler, AKA Richard Bannister, Neil Murdoch is walking towards me, And I said, Mr. Mahler. And he just stared at my badge, and he blinked quite a bit. I remember that. But he didn't move. He froze. He was shocked."

Confronted with undeniable evidence, Bannister confesses.

Deputy Alfonso (18:11): "When I got him to the jail, I told him, you know, we could spend the next 30 minutes here taking your fingerprints, and then I'd have to run him to the FBI database to... or you can just sit here and tell me that you are. And he said, I am Richard Gordon Bannister."

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Aftermath and Reflections

Richard Bannister pled guilty to drug trafficking and bail jumping, receiving a nine-year prison sentence. While some in the community viewed his punishment as lenient, Dick Lepley remained unsatisfied, emphasizing the personal and financial toll Bannister's actions had inflicted on his life.

Dick Lepley (18:58): "Now, let me see. I'm an honest guy, employ 50 people, have paid my bills, have contributed to this community for 35 years, now spent 5 years cleaning up that mess that he got me in. Nine's not enough. He could sit there for the rest of time for all I care."

The episode concludes with reflections from the marshals involved, underscoring the relentless pursuit and eventual triumph over a fugitive who managed to elude capture for over two decades.

Deputy Alfonso (19:36): "I always expect to end the day with an arrest. When I leave to work a warrant, I leave with the positive attitude that I'm going to come back with the body."

Special Agent Reuben Gomez (19:46): "We're relentless, and eventually, we're going to catch them. Every fugitive is catchable, and we're going to catch them unless time catches up to them first."

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Conclusion

"REOPENED: Life on the Run" encapsulates a gripping narrative of persistence, identity deception, and ultimate justice. Through meticulous investigation and unwavering determination, law enforcement was able to unravel a complex web of deceit, bringing Richard Bannister to account for his long-standing crimes. This case serves as a testament to the enduring effort required to solve cold cases and the profound impact such resolutions have on the lives affected.

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Notable Quotes:

• Special Agent Reuben Gomez (03:07): "It could be a crime against canine health."

• Dick Lepley (05:07): "There's some real weird stuff showing up on it."

• Special Agent Ray Plummery (07:02): "Everything I tried to track down on the guy came up blank."

• Deputy Halvorson (13:15): "They looked like they were... headed to Four Corners, Colorado."

• Deputy Alfonso (17:05): "He just stared at my badge... he froze. He was shocked."

• Dick Lepley (19:20): "Nine's not enough. He could sit there for the rest of time for all I care."

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For more detailed accounts and similar cases, visit the A&E Real Crime blog at aetv.com or explore additional episodes of Cold Case Files.

Transcript

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[Narrator]

When Neil Murdaugh left the town of Crested Butte, Colorado in 1998, the entire town threw a party for him. There was even a guest book filled with well wishes for Murdoch's future. He was obviously well liked in the community. He worked at a local daycare, volunteered at the town theater, and ran a natural food store. Known for his mountain biking skills, Murdoch was inducted into the town's Mountain Biking hall of fame in 1988. He was considered an interesting and fun character by many of the residents in the town. For example, in the early 1980s, he attended a New Year celebration dressed as a baby wearing only a diaper. Murdoch had moved to crested Butte in 1974, and the small ski town with a population of 700 welcomed him. Though active and well known in the community, Neil Murdoch didn't speak much about his past. People thought that he was just a private person and didn't give it too much thought. The thing was, though, that before his move in 1974, Neil Murdoch didn't exist. From A and E this is Cold case files. In 1974, Richard Bannister owned an import export store in New Mexico. He traveled a lot for work and had most recently made a trip to Bolivia, where he Purchased some wooden statues and shipped them back to his store. On November 30, the statues arrived at the airport in Albuquerque. It was then that a customs inspector discovered something unusual about the statues. This is special agent Reuben Gomez.

[Special Agent Reuben Gomez]

One of the statues between the base and the actual statue itself, there was a little corner of plastic sticking out. It was pretty obvious that something was inside that thing.

[Narrator]

When they opened the statues, the inspectors found $2.2 million worth of Bolivian cocaine.

[Special Agent Reuben Gomez]

So then they opened the other three statues, and sure enough, each one of them was packed with cocaine. And I think, I believe it came out to a total of 22 pounds.

[Narrator]

In order to catch and charge Bannister for drug trafficking, the agents replaced the cocaine with a similar looking white powder and allowed the package to continue on to its intended destination.

[Special Agent Reuben Gomez]

We surveilled as Bannister came up and received the package. It was like an old thing for him. He just nonchalant and went up to the counter and received the packages and signed for him and walked out. He left directly to his residence, which was up towards Cuesta, New Mexico, and that was a hippie commune.

[Narrator]

Once Bannister brought the package into his home, the agents rushed onto the property and arrested him. The bail amount was originally set at $75,000, but it was eventually lowered to 20,000 with a 10% provision. What that means is Bannister only had to pay $2,000 to be released, which he did. On December 26, Bannister left the jail and promptly disappeared. Dick Lepley lived in a quiet town in northern Pennsylvania. He'd never heard of Gordon Bannister, the man accused of dealing drugs 22 years earlier. Lepley owned a bike shop, and business was good for the most part. He didn't have any money problems. When he filled out a loan application for an rv, Lepley got an unexpected call from the banker. This is Dick.

[Dick Lepley]

Lepley had a good relationship with a banker, and he called me while he was putting the loan together and said, you ought to take a look at your credit. There's some real weird stuff showing up on it.

[Narrator]

The weird stuff included delinquent credit cards and a loan for a $60,000 home in Crested Butte, Colorado, a place that Lepley most certainly did not own a home.

[Dick Lepley]

Then what happened is I began to get calls from a collection agency in Denver asking me when I wanted to take care of these bills.

[Narrator]

Leple's Social Security number had been taken over by another person, and all three credit bureaus believed that it belonged to a Man named Neil Murdoch from Crested Butte.

[Dick Lepley]

The interesting thing was Murdoch's name actually supplanted mine on all my credit reports. It was kind of like I was the guy that didn't exist or I was the bad guy.

[Narrator]

Lepley contacted everyone he could think of for three years to help him regain his Social Security number and to restore his good credit. Finally, after countless frustrating attempts, Lepley took his case to the investigative unit of the Social Security Administration. This is Special Agent Ray Plummery.

[Special Agent Ray Plummery]

I received a call from Dick in January of 1998. He indicated to me that there was a person in Crested Butte, Colorado, that was using his Social Security number.

[Narrator]

Agent Plummery decided to run a background check on the person who was using Dick Lepley's Social Security number.

[Special Agent Ray Plummery]

I tried to find out as much information as I could on who Murdoch might be. I tried to track down where he might have been born, where he might have lived, and basically establish who he might really be. And essentially I got nowhere. Everything I tried to track down on the guy came up blank.

[Narrator]

Plummery then placed a call to the Crested Butte Police Department on the off chance they knew a man named Murdoch.

[Special Agent Ray Plummery]

And he said, oh, yeah, he's lived here for 20 plus years and used to run a bike shop and he works in the health food store now. And nice guy, kind of one of the leading citizens of town. And I'm thinking to myself, this doesn't add up.

[Narrator]

Plummery decided he needed to go pay Mr. Murdoch a visit.

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[Narrator]

Ted Conner had been the town marshal of crested Butte for 20 years.

[Special Agent Reuben Gomez]

In 1998, Neil Murdock was an interesting person who resided here in town. He. I didn't personally know him that well, but I think everybody who's lived around here for a while knew who he was.

[Narrator]

Connor said that Murdaugh was well liked and active in the community, but no one really knew much about his past.

[Special Agent Reuben Gomez]

I would personally look at him and think, I wonder where he came from.

[Narrator]

Agent Plummery also wanted to know where Neil Murdaugh had come from. So the two investigators paid Murdoch a visit at the health food store where he worked. This is Agent Plummery.

[Special Agent Ray Plummery]

Well, I told him that we had a report that the Social Security number he'd been using belongs to someone else. And he seemed taken aback by that. It's like, well, I don't understand this. I mean, I've been used. This is my number. I don't know what to tell you. It's very strange. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to respond to. This was kind of his attitude.

[Narrator]

Plummery then asked Murdaugh if he could photograph and fingerprint him to set the record straight.

[Special Agent Ray Plummery]

I couldn't resolve it any other way. If he'd have admitted who he was or something, I probably wouldn't have bothered. But he didn't, and I knew he wasn't who he was saying he was, so I had to have something to try to find that out.

[Narrator]

Agent Plumrey returned to Denver with Murdoch's first photo in prints. Two days later, he got a phone call from the bookkeeper at the health food store.

[Special Agent Ray Plummery]

I asked her what Social Security number was on his original application for employment. And she pulled it out and looked at it, and it was a different Social Security number.

[Narrator]

Agent Plummery ran the new number through ncic, the National Crime Information center database.

[Special Agent Ray Plummery]

And up popped a warrant on Richard Bannister.

[Narrator]

Richard Bannister, a fugitive who was wanted on international drug smuggling charges 25 years earlier.

[Special Agent Ray Plummery]

I thought, well, now I know what he's doing in Crested Butte. And he's apparently been hiding ever since he was wanted because he's been there for 20 years.

[Narrator]

The prints and photos from Neil Murdoch were compared with prints and photos from Richard Bannister's 1973 arrest record.

[Special Agent Ray Plummery]

We matched the thumbprints and it was the same guy. And then they had photographs faxed out and you could see it was the same guy. He was a lot younger obviously, but it was the same guy.

[Narrator]

Ron Halvorson, a U.S. marshal located in Denver was assigned to arrest Bannister. This is Deputy Halvorson.

[Deputy Halvorson]

I was approached about 1 o' clock in the afternoon saying there's a sheriff down and Crested Butte Colorado who has information on a possible fugitive locate of ours.

[Narrator]

The assignment came at a busy time for Halverson who was on the trail of another fugitive in Denver.

[Deputy Halvorson]

We had already had other investigations lined up and arrests ready to go. So the decision was made not to go down to Crested Butte that night, but go at first thing in the morning. At five o' clock in the morning.

[Narrator]

Halvorson began the trek from Denver to Crested Butte nearly 250 miles before it was even light outside. But he still hadn't made it on time.

[Deputy Halvorson]

And by the time we got to Crested butte at about 8 o' clock in the morning he had already departed.

[Special Agent Reuben Gomez]

There was frustration on all the agencies parts because it appeared that we'd had an opportunity to possibly apprehend him in and it didn't happen.

[Narrator]

Deputies Connor and Halvorson tried to question the locals in Crested Butte about Bannister but received little cooperation. Here's Deputy Halvorson.

[Deputy Halvorson]

It was a very guarded community. We actually became stonewalled with a lot of individuals and we felt like they weren't telling all the truth that they knew the people in Crested Butte Colorado really liked Bannister.

[Narrator]

Finally investigators found a local woman who was willing to speak with them.

[Deputy Halvorson]

She saw Richard Banister get in the car with a friend of hers at about 7 o' clock in the morning and she said they looked like they were. They mentioned they were headed to Four Corners, Colorado.

[Narrator]

Four Corners is the place where four western states come together at a single point. Here. According to the woman, Bannister had made his exit. This is Four Corners U.S. marshal Lee White.

[Special Agent Reuben Gomez]

Basically he took off on his bicycle and disappeared either into the sunset or the sunrise. Personally at the time I thought it sounded too much like Casablanca.

[Narrator]

In the following weeks the marshals chased Bannister through dozens of leads and suspected sightings. Here's Deputy Halverson again.

[Deputy Halvorson]

We began receiving reports from all over the western states that we had seen this guy on the bike and the photo had been widely distributed, and we had 65 different sightings that came in. And we sent out local police departments, local sheriff's department to track down each and every lead. None of them turned out to be our guy Bannister.

[Narrator]

For the second time, Richard Bannister evaded investigators and vanished.

[Sherwin Williams]

From the waters of Lake Erie.

[Deputy Halvorson]

It was raising flags.

[Dick Lepley]

He said, there's no way that that fish should weigh 7.9 pounds. It's just not big enough.

[Sherwin Williams]

To a nondescript office building in Richmond, Virginia, home to a $700 million fund for children with special needs.

[Special Agent Reuben Gomez]

If there were a cliche list of.

[Narrator]

How to blow money that you just stole very quickly, this guy did all of them.

[Sherwin Williams]

To the ski slopes of Salt Lake City, where a former Olympic snowboarder landed on the FBI's most wanted list.

[Dick Lepley]

Ryan James Wedding is one of those interesting Norcos who have had two very successful careers, one legal and one illegal.

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[Narrator]

Taos, New Mexico, sits at the base of the Crystal Mountains. It's the type of place that attracts skiers, mountain bikers, and artists. It could also attract people with a complicated past. Lisa Alfonso was one of the two U.S. marshals who covered northern New Mexico in the fall of 2001. She got a tip about a man named Grafton Mahler. This is Deputy Alfonso.

[Deputy Alfonso]

Basically, what we had here was we had an individual in the Taos area using a name of Grafton Mahler. Grafton Mahler purchased a piece of property in Trespiedras, New Mexico, using the fugitive Richard Bannister's original Social Security number.

[Narrator]

Alfonso reached out to the investigator assigned to the case, U.S. marshal Lee White.

[Special Agent Reuben Gomez]

She said, I have a source that says he's living in Taos, New Mexico, under the name of Grafton Mahler. I said, listen, guy's been a fugitive for 27 years. I will start towards Taos, but do not wait for me to get there. If you see him, put handcuffs on him. Let's bring him in.

[Narrator]

With Bannister's photo in hand, Alfonso asked around Taos about Mahler. This is Deputy Alfonso again.

[Deputy Alfonso]

Came across a woman, a merchant there, and asked her if she knew a gentleman by the name of Grafton Mahler. And she said, oh, sure, I know Grafton really well. And so I asked if she would review a photo. And so I showed her the photo, and she said, oh, yeah, that's Grafton. And he has very distinct eyebrows. And so I knew that if his eyebrows remained the same, there was no doubt in my mind that I'd be able to positively identify him.

[Narrator]

Like Neil Murdoch and Crested Butte, Grafton Mahler had many friends in Taos. Those friends directed Deputy Alfonso to the thrift store where Mahler worked.

[Deputy Alfonso]

Walked into the store, and Grafton Mahler, AKA Richard Bannister, Neil Murdoch is walking towards me, And I said, Mr. Mahler. And he just stared at my badge, and he blinked quite a bit. I remember that. But he didn't move. He froze. He was shocked.

[Narrator]

After 27 years on the run, Richard Bannister had been found and arrested.

[Deputy Alfonso]

When I got him to the jail, I told him, you know, we could spend the next 30 minutes here taking your fingerprints, and then I'd have to run him to the FBI database to. To get confirmation that you are Richard Gordon Banister, or you can just sit here and tell me that you are. And he said, I am Richard Gordon Bannister.

[Narrator]

Richard Bannister pled guilty to trafficking cocaine and jumping bail, and a judge sentenced him to nine years in prison. For many who knew Bannister, though not by that name, the sentence seemed severe. Dick lefly, though the man whose Social Security number Bannister stole and whose credit Banister ruined, had no problem with the sentence.

[Dick Lepley]

Now, let me see. I'm an honest guy, employ 50 people, have paid my bills, have contributed to this community for 35 years, now spent 5 years cleaning up that mess that he got me in. Nine's not enough. He could sit there for the rest of time for all I care.

[Narrator]

For the U.S. marshals who chased Bannister through three states and for more than 20 years, the lesson seemed clear. Where the feds are concerned, men like Richard Bannister can run, sometimes for decades, but they can't hide.

[Deputy Alfonso]

I always expect to end the day with an arrest. When I leave to work a warrant, I leave with the positive attitude that I'm going to come back with the body.

[Special Agent Reuben Gomez]

We're relentless, and eventually, we're going to catch them. Every fugitive is catchable, and we're going to catch them unless time catches up to them first.

[Narrator]

Cold Case Files, the podcast is hosted by Brooke giddings, produced by McKamey, Lin and Steve Delamater. Our associate producer is Julie McGruder. Our executive producer is Ted Butler. Our music was created by Blake Maples. This podcast is distributed by Podcast one. The Cold Case Files TV series was produced by Curtis Productions and is hosted by Bill Curtis. You can find me rookginnings on Twitter and rookthepodcaster on Instagram. I'm also active in the Facebook group Podcast for Justice. Check out more Cold case [e-mail] or learn more about cases like this one by visiting the A and E Real crime [e-mail] RealCrime this summer, Pluto TV.

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