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History That Doesn't Suck
Presenting "Crime House True Crime Stories:" A Crime House Original
00:09:46
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- [00:02]
Host of History that Doesn't Suck
History is full of criminals. During the week of March 17th in 1881, two career criminals broke into a Manhattan bank, stealing the equivalent of over 50 million in today's money. It was considered one of the earliest major bank robberies in U.S. history. And nearly 200 years later, in 2010, another robbery made headlines when a college student in Nashville, Tennessee, held up a bank dressed as a leprechaun. Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone. While you're waiting for the next episode of History that Doesn't Suck, we're sharing this episode from a new podcast called Crime House True Crime Stories. Every Monday, the series visits notorious true crime cases from that week in history, all connected by a common theme. This week, it's bank robberies. HTDS will be back next week with a special episode continuing our history telling of the New Deal. After that, we'll dig in, literally, to some of the enduring engineering accomplishments of the 1930s, including the Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Empire State Building, and more. But now, here's a sneak peek of Crime House true crime stories.
- [01:11]
Vanessa Richardson
This is Crime House. During the week of March 17, 1881, two career criminals broke into a Manhattan bank, stealing the equivalent of over $50 million in today's money. It was considered one of the earliest bank robberies in U.S. history. And nearly 200 years later, in 2010, another robbery made headlines when a college student in Nashville, Tennessee celebrated St. Patrick's Day by holding up a bank dressed as a leprechaun, making this week's theme Bank Heists. Welcome to Crime House the Show. I'm Vanessa Richardson. Every Monday, we'll be revisiting notorious crimes from this week in history. From serial killers to mysterious disappearances or murders, every episode will explore stories that share a common theme. Each week, we'll cover two stories, one further in the past and one more rooted in the present. Here at Crime House. We know none of this would be possible without you, our community. Please support us by rating, reviewing and following Crime House the Show wherever you get your podcasts and for ad free and early access to the show. Plus plus Exciting Crime House Bonus Content subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. Once again, today's theme is bank heists. We'll begin on St Patrick's Day in 2010, when a college student named David Cotton dressed as a leprechaun and held up a local bank in Tennessee. David and his getaway driver escaped with a bag of cash, but not with their lives. And it wasn't the only notorious heist from that week in history. On March 20, 1831, two men snuck into a Manhattan bank. They maneuvered their way through multiple steel doors before pulling off what's said to be America's first ever bank robbery. Both of these cases show the grim realities of bank robberies in film and television. These heists are packed with action and excitement, but the truth is, they are high stakes and risky. And like you'll see in today's stories, they rarely go according to plan. It was around lunchtime on March 17, 2010, when a man dressed as a leprechaun wandered into First State bank in Gallatin, a town just north of Nashville, Tennessee. He wore a fake beard, sunglasses, and a top hat with a shamrock on it. On any other day, it would have been a bizarre sight. But it was St. Patrick's Day, and this customer wasn't the only person in the Nashville area feeling festive. So the bank clerk likely didn't think too much of it. At least not until the leprechaun pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at her. It's not clear exactly what he said, but. But the message was obvious. This was a robbery. The banking staff gave the leprechaun cash in a blue bag. Then he sprinted outside where a silver Toyota Corolla was waiting for him. As soon as he was inside, the Corolla took off. Its tires screamed as it ripped down the street carrying the thief, who was actually 21 year old David. David Cotton. Away from the crime scene. The getaway driver was his high school buddy, 20 year old Jonathan Ryan Skinner. And according to those who knew them, they were the last people you'd expect to be involved in a bank heist. That's partly because it didn't seem like they needed the money. Both David and Jonathan came from privileged backgrounds. They grew up in Brentwood, an affluent Nashville suburb. And by all accounts, they seemed like nice, nice, well adjusted kids. David was known for his sense of humor and creativity. In high school, he was involved in theater and did a lot of comedic writing and acting. It was a skill set he used to create a lively Internet presence. He made YouTube videos, some of which were satire skits about police dramas, though it wasn't all make believe. Apparently he used a real gun for a prop. But his gregarious personality was hiding something darker because in 2007, when he was 18, he acted out. Wearing a southwestern style blanket and a ski mask, David broke into two local elementary and middle schools. He and a different Accomplice stole around $25,000 worth of computers and other equipment. But it wasn't just the pricey stuff they were after. The they also took some worthless items, like a big stuffed animal. David and his friend got away without anyone catching them. But selling the stolen items was a different story. After the burglary, they posted the items on ebay. Police saw the ads and were able to track them to David and his partner. David ended up getting a three year probation sentence for his part in the crime. Though it's not clear what happened to his friend, it's also not clear what David's motivation for the robbery was or what his relationship with his accomplice was like after that. But eventually, David gravitated to a new partner in crime, his friend, Jonathan Skinner. Jonathan was loosely into theater as well. He and David had done a Christmas play together, which may have been where their friendship started. After the show wrapped, Jonathan would frequently drive David to school in the mornings. We don't know a lot about their friendship, but the two boys seemed pretty different. David was described as funny and creative, while people referred to Jonathan as quiet. He had aspirations of being a meteorologist, and by the time he graduated Brentwood High in 2007, he was bound for college at Western Kentucky University. David, on the other hand, was sticking around town. After graduation, he enrolled at nearby Columbia State College and got a job at a store called Battery Plus. But just like in high school, something was bubbling under David's happy Go lucky exterior. In December 2009, 21 year old David once again did something reckless. On December 22nd of that year, David. David got in the holiday spirit and decided to put on a show. He dressed up in a Santa outfit, complete with a beard and hat. Then he grabbed his gun, the same one he used in his YouTube police skits. But this was no satire. He stormed into the SunTrust bank in Nashville and yanked his weapon out of a Santa sack. He proceeded to wave it in the clerk's face as he demanded cash. But witnesses said aside from the gun, David's actual demeanor didn't seem threatening. He was upbeat and even joked that he needed the money for his elves. It's not clear how much he got, but he filled up his Santa sack with cash after his exit. Details are a little harder to come by. Some reports claim he jumped in a gray car, while others say there was no getaway driver and he acted completely alone. Regardless of how he escaped, the plan worked, and a few months later, he'd do it again.
- [09:37]
Host of History that Doesn't Suck
To listen to the rest of this episode and others, be sure to check out Crime House true crime stories available now on the free Odyssey app and wherever you get your podcasts.