Gordon Kahl
Encyclopedia
Gordon Wendell Kahl is best known for his involvement in two fatal shootout
s with law enforcement officers in the United States
in 1983.
Raised on a North Dakota
farm, Kahl was a highly decorated turret gunner during World War II
. After the war, "he had a 400 acres (1.6 km²) farm near Heaton, Wells County, North Dakota
, [but] bounced around the Texas oilfields in later life as a mechanic and general worker."
In 1967, Kahl wrote a letter to the Internal Revenue Service
stating that he would no longer pay taxes to the, in his words, "Synagogue of Satan under the 2nd plank of the Communist Manifesto." During the 1970s, Kahl organized the first Texas
chapter of the Posse Comitatus
, although he later left the group and was not a member at the time of the 1983 shootouts. In 1976 he appeared on a Texas television program stating that the income tax
was illegal and encouraging others not to pay their income taxes. A 1991 movie based on these events was called In the Line of Duty: Manhunt in the Dakotas (aka Midnight Murders, and in Holland as In the Line of Duty: The Twilight Murders), starring actor Rod Steiger
. The events also inspired the making of the documentary film Death & Taxes
, which was released in 1993.
, after Kahl's release from prison on probation.
" belief which later became well known because of the Montana Freemen
standoff. This movement sought to form parallel courts and governments purportedly based on English Common Law, and to withdraw recognition of the U.S. federal government. Township movement supporters as well as the Posse Comitatus attempted to organize among farmers in the American Midwest during the early 1980s farm crisis
.
attempted to arrest Kahl as he was leaving a meeting of township supporters in Medina, North Dakota
for violating his parole. In the car with Kahl were his wife Joan, his son Yori, and three others who had been at the meeting. According to Scott Faul's testimony, both Gordon Kahl and Yori Kahl were armed with Ruger Mini-14 rifles. The conflict began when federal marshals created a road block a few miles north of Medina. During the ensuing shootout, U.S. Marshal Kenneth Muir and Deputy Marshal Bob Cheshire were killed. Kahl then took the vehicle of a Medina law enforcement officer and fled to Arkansas
.
. Another shootout ensued on June 3, 1983, in which Kahl and Lawrence County Sheriff Gene Matthews died. Despite Federal Marshalls and FBI SWAT teams firing thousands of bullets into the home before setting it alight, Kahl was killed by a single .41 Magnum bullet fired by Sheriff Gene Matthews, who died on an operating table critically wounded by a bullet from Kahl's Mini-14.
Leonard and Norma Ginter were each additionally charged with the capital murder of Sheriff Gene Matthews in relation to the federal harboring trial in state court. The capital murder charge was later dropped.
Yori Kahl and Scott Faul received prison sentences on charges in connection with the Medina shootout. Joan Kahl was acquitted. Yori Kahl is imprisoned at the United States Penitentiary at Terre Haute, Indiana, and is scheduled for release on February 12, 2023. Scott Faul is imprisoned at the Federal Correctional Institution at Sandstone, Minnesota, and is scheduled for release on February 14, 2023.
Shootout
A shootout is a gun battle between armed groups. A shootout often, but not necessarily, pits law enforcement against criminal elements; it could also involve two groups outside of law enforcement, such as rival gangs. A shootout in a military context A shootout is a gun battle between armed groups....
s with law enforcement officers in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1983.
Raised on a North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
farm, Kahl was a highly decorated turret gunner during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war, "he had a 400 acres (1.6 km²) farm near Heaton, Wells County, North Dakota
Wells County, North Dakota
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 5,102 people, 2,215 households, and 1,453 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile . There were 2,643 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...
, [but] bounced around the Texas oilfields in later life as a mechanic and general worker."
In 1967, Kahl wrote a letter to the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
stating that he would no longer pay taxes to the, in his words, "Synagogue of Satan under the 2nd plank of the Communist Manifesto." During the 1970s, Kahl organized the first Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
chapter of the Posse Comitatus
Posse Comitatus (U.S. movement)
The Posse Comitatus is a loosely organized far right social movement that opposes the United States federal government and believes in localism...
, although he later left the group and was not a member at the time of the 1983 shootouts. In 1976 he appeared on a Texas television program stating that the income tax
Income tax in the United States
In the United States, a tax is imposed on income by the Federal, most states, and many local governments. The income tax is determined by applying a tax rate, which may increase as income increases, to taxable income as defined. Individuals and corporations are directly taxable, and estates and...
was illegal and encouraging others not to pay their income taxes. A 1991 movie based on these events was called In the Line of Duty: Manhunt in the Dakotas (aka Midnight Murders, and in Holland as In the Line of Duty: The Twilight Murders), starring actor Rod Steiger
Rod Steiger
Rodney Stephen "Rod" Steiger was an Academy Award-winning American actor known for his performances in such films as On the Waterfront, The Big Knife, Oklahoma!, The Harder They Fall, Across the Bridge, The Pawnbroker, Doctor Zhivago, In the Heat of the Night, and Waterloo as well as the...
. The events also inspired the making of the documentary film Death & Taxes
Death & Taxes (film)
Death & Taxes is a 1993 documentary film directed by Jeffrey F. Jackson about Gordon Kahl, a tax protester who was killed in a shootout with local law enforcement officials in Smithville, Arkansas in 1983.-External links:* Taos Land and Film...
, which was released in 1993.
Criminal conviction and prison
On November 16, 1976, Kahl was charged with willful failure to file Federal income tax returns for the years 1973 and 1974, under . He was found guilty, and was sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of $2,000. Kahl served eight months in prison in 1977. One year of the sentence was suspended, as was the fine, and the court placed Kahl on a five year probation. Kahl appealed his conviction, but the conviction was affirmed in 1978 by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Louisiana* Middle District of Louisiana...
, after Kahl's release from prison on probation.
Activity after prison
Following his parole from prison, Kahl became active in the "township" movement, an early version of the "sovereign citizenshipSovereign citizen movement
The sovereign citizen movement is a loose network of American litigants, commentators and financial scheme promoters, classified as an "extremist anti-government group" by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation....
" belief which later became well known because of the Montana Freemen
Montana Freemen
The Montana Freemen were a Christian Patriot movement based outside the town of Jordan, Montana. The members of the group referred to their land as "Justus Township" and had declared themselves no longer under the authority of any outside government...
standoff. This movement sought to form parallel courts and governments purportedly based on English Common Law, and to withdraw recognition of the U.S. federal government. Township movement supporters as well as the Posse Comitatus attempted to organize among farmers in the American Midwest during the early 1980s farm crisis
Farm crisis
A Farm Crisis is a term describing times of agricultural recession, low crop prices and low farm incomes that can lead to farm bankruptcy, family break-ups, and increased rate of farmer suicides. In the US, most recently this was during the 1980s...
.
Shootout near Medina, North Dakota
On February 13, 1983, U.S. MarshalsUnited States Marshals Service
The United States Marshals Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice . The office of U.S. Marshal is the oldest federal law enforcement office in the United States; it was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
attempted to arrest Kahl as he was leaving a meeting of township supporters in Medina, North Dakota
Medina, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 335 people, 165 households, and 99 families residing in the city. The population density was 331.3 people per square mile . There were 209 housing units at an average density of 206.7 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 99.40% White, and 0.60%...
for violating his parole. In the car with Kahl were his wife Joan, his son Yori, and three others who had been at the meeting. According to Scott Faul's testimony, both Gordon Kahl and Yori Kahl were armed with Ruger Mini-14 rifles. The conflict began when federal marshals created a road block a few miles north of Medina. During the ensuing shootout, U.S. Marshal Kenneth Muir and Deputy Marshal Bob Cheshire were killed. Kahl then took the vehicle of a Medina law enforcement officer and fled to Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
.
Smithville, Arkansas shootings
A tip was received by authorities from the youngest daughter of the property owner's land that Leonard Ginter and his wife Norma Ginter lived on. Kahl hid in their earth-bermed passive solar home in Smithville, ArkansasSmithville, Arkansas
Smithville is a town in Lawrence County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 73 at the 2000 census.-History:Euro-American settlers first came to the area of Smithville in 1808....
. Another shootout ensued on June 3, 1983, in which Kahl and Lawrence County Sheriff Gene Matthews died. Despite Federal Marshalls and FBI SWAT teams firing thousands of bullets into the home before setting it alight, Kahl was killed by a single .41 Magnum bullet fired by Sheriff Gene Matthews, who died on an operating table critically wounded by a bullet from Kahl's Mini-14.
Aftermath
Edwin C. Udey, Arthur H. Russell, Leonard Ginter, and Norma Ginter, were indicted for harboring and concealing a fugitive, and for conspiracy to do the same. They were convicted of all the charges. The convictions were upheld on appeal. Leonard was convicted and sentenced to a federal prison, while Norma's sentence was suspended. Leonard was released in February 1987.Leonard and Norma Ginter were each additionally charged with the capital murder of Sheriff Gene Matthews in relation to the federal harboring trial in state court. The capital murder charge was later dropped.
Yori Kahl and Scott Faul received prison sentences on charges in connection with the Medina shootout. Joan Kahl was acquitted. Yori Kahl is imprisoned at the United States Penitentiary at Terre Haute, Indiana, and is scheduled for release on February 12, 2023. Scott Faul is imprisoned at the Federal Correctional Institution at Sandstone, Minnesota, and is scheduled for release on February 14, 2023.