Sean Flynn

A masterpiece. In this little fantasy, Martin imagined himself to be an elegant thief, a sophisticate. And now the reviews were in. The police were convinced. A debonair bandit clearly was afoot. In Martin's real life, his wife gave birth to their first son later that spring. He was studying to be a teacher. The responsibility, the routine, already were suffocating.

A masterpiece. In this little fantasy, Martin imagined himself to be an elegant thief, a sophisticate. And now the reviews were in. The police were convinced. A debonair bandit clearly was afoot. In Martin's real life, his wife gave birth to their first son later that spring. He was studying to be a teacher. The responsibility, the routine, already were suffocating.

Wait, hold up here. Yeah. So you went into an empty house or a house where nobody was home.

Wait, hold up here. Yeah. So you went into an empty house or a house where nobody was home.

And took five lithographs. Yeah. And then you have a new baby.

And took five lithographs. Yeah. And then you have a new baby.

And you think you would like a nice house, so let's rob a bank.

And you think you would like a nice house, so let's rob a bank.

There's a lot of ways to get a nice house that don't involve robbing a bank. Yeah.

There's a lot of ways to get a nice house that don't involve robbing a bank. Yeah.

This was not a reckless impulse, a spur-of-the-moment cash grab. Martin prepared. First, he got a gun. He disguised himself as a military officer and drove to a barracks.

This was not a reckless impulse, a spur-of-the-moment cash grab. Martin prepared. First, he got a gun. He disguised himself as a military officer and drove to a barracks.

Then he studied, researched, scouted. He chose a small bank in a nearby village called Sem. Only four, maybe five people working, cash in wooden drawers behind the counter, and a stairway leading down to the vault. No cameras. This was 1974 in a small Norwegian town. But remember, the point was to steal a lot of money.

Then he studied, researched, scouted. He chose a small bank in a nearby village called Sem. Only four, maybe five people working, cash in wooden drawers behind the counter, and a stairway leading down to the vault. No cameras. This was 1974 in a small Norwegian town. But remember, the point was to steal a lot of money.

The day of the robbery, he took a train to a different town about 15 miles south of Semm.

The day of the robbery, he took a train to a different town about 15 miles south of Semm.

And then I went around in the streets. He's looking for a car to steal, one with the keys in it, because Martin doesn't actually know how to steal a car. It took a while.

And then I went around in the streets. He's looking for a car to steal, one with the keys in it, because Martin doesn't actually know how to steal a car. It took a while.

Martin got to the bank, and immediately there's a problem. A taxi, right out front, near a big window with a clear view of the stairway to the vault, where the money Martin ordered should be safely locked up.

Martin got to the bank, and immediately there's a problem. A taxi, right out front, near a big window with a clear view of the stairway to the vault, where the money Martin ordered should be safely locked up.