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3 FOasg se 54-84} Vanton | Ilers? Facts may tell a different story By GARY WEBB PD BUREAD COLUMBUS — The story bas been a reporter's dream. Aiter a furious fivéminute gun bal- the April 11 in suburban Miami, tro FEI agents were shot dead and five others were wounded in the single bloodiest incident in FBI histary. dulletriddied bodies of the gunmen, who have been identified as suspects ‘ $e 8 sumber of violent robberies in " southern Florida, were slumped in the _ front seat of acar, Since then, newspapers nationwide __ bave been fall of atories wbout the shoot oat, Most of them focusing on the alleged ‘traters of the mas * sacre, Ariny buddies William R. Matix, 35, aod Michael Lee Platt. The picture that has been emerging @ of Matix, a former central Ohio res dent, and Platt isn’t pretty. How much of it is true ls another matter, © “ET ¢bink If Ne. Matiz were still Ee Fd be down talking to ihe 4 Columbus) Dispatch right now," said alix's focrner lawyer, Cr Trenett | jot Columbus. “a > But, as dead men tell no tales, nel : Mher do they Me Ubel sults, 4 If you believe what you read, Mati if latt were neo-Nazi survivalists ewho probably killed each others’ | Bxives in a bizarre blood pact, and thea Serrorized banks and armored cars ip southern Dade County in Florida, kill- ging at beast two people. They may pave killed others at an old West Dade rock quarry, in order te have untrace- pole cars to ose in thelr robberies. = 2 2 Reporters have sot come. up with a tgmotive for the 198¢ death of Plat’ evile, which was officially ruled a ai. ride, but the Dispatch and the Miami ferald have implied that Matix, siescribed as a greedy spendtarili, gbumped his wife off in 2983 for more an $350,000 in inswrance money, and ater got $56,000 more from the te’s Crime Victims Compensation rogram. - aan ete iMount C3 Clipping in ‘Space Below) ee Agcts are SUN hare to come 2 by, bat f co that sre out there tell a different “While ihere appested to be tle ovbt that Matiz and Platt were avelved in some sort of criminal e(lvity in Florida -~° primarily the ounding of a man at a rock quarry, host car (hey were driving the day the FBI shoot-ont.and whose gun -& found in Matix’s home ~ nelther e F Bl nor the Metro-Dade police sre Ohne much ne about what ted ee label the men as suspects in rE pobberes. ae fact, Metro-Dade robbery Detec- oa Tony Monheim said in a tele- interview thal his agency didn't much le link the tee te the rob 1e which were carried aut by ski- ked bandits. He said he didn't 16% exactly what evidence the FBI ad linking them to the bank red Series other than that they were driv Big 8 car that was supposed te have foeen used in ont: FBI efficials Rceclined comment. H ‘A Jot of this stuff, we're just : ssurning.’ ’ Monheim said “There's a gai legwork that’s got to be done.” Sead solving thé crimes would be Shi harder” now that Maux and rt Pwere dead. : that hasnt prevented newspa- 4 including. the prestigious New "Wgh Times, from labeling Matix and Piati as “baok robbers,” “eold- rarted killers” and “armored car ¢ rebbers” and referring fo Mathes “We ie crime,” even though Matis,| if oF ‘ribed by friends and relatives ag a The biggest “ab-ha” story. go far as printed Tyesday in the Columbus _ spa tch. 2a g co ytrearteres siory bead: “Matix left Ohio with $275,000," wire Dispatch quoted vonamed sources gee aaying Matix cashed in on the bor al Yhurder of his wife, Patricia, w Jound in December $085 af Ri “Hospital here with 2 co-morke "The sources said Matix, 34, cal- led a double desth beneli totaling we, @: ial alice Bornid and the | id Herald, In a story Wednesda Dea diined “EAT agents’ killer col ated ano ie’s death " noted the siz aot: “spoken and devoutly rel’ ene family man, has ne criminal gp ond, gagged and repeated)? _ pated. ~~ indesie page name of REWSPRPE cay and State } 7 g leanion , 4/20/86 : FRONT BAGE . tie: | ft (Character . ‘ Classiticaban. | eubeniting Otfice lndeang } i ' é ; fthe insurance policies as “a possible motive’ in ihe stiibunsolvadl murders nd lermed Matix “a leading 58 | pect.“ The Herald quoted a Colomibus police delective as saying he believed Mati collected an additional 956.000 from the state's Crime Victims Com- pensation program and one story noied that Matix “also tried to capi- ialize” on bis wile’s death by {ling 2 negligence sult against Riverside Hos- pals. The suit was fled last Decem- r But public records at the Ohio Court of Claims show Matiz received nowhere mear that amount, either from insurance companies or Lhe crime victims program. AH fold, Matix received $159.859 from three separate insurance poli- cies, none of which contained a double indemnity clause. Gne policy, @hich paid $33,560, is provided te all employees af Riverside Hospital. The largest policy, an accidental death icy Lal paid $101, O00, was offered the hospital as optional cand was paid for Matiz was awarded €445. a month from Social Secnrity and $248 a week rom the Okip workers’ compensation ram, @ benelit that cexsed sebea coe * ae SERS ‘, : 5 CLEVOLAND PLAIN DEAL Mrs Matiz...