"Heroes Live Forever" - the story of the Santa Claus Bank Robbery

It is one of the most infamous crimes in Texas history. A bank robbery, led by a man disguised as Santa Claus, resulted in the deaths of three law enforcement officers.

(l to r) George Bedford, George Carmichael and Thomas Jones

McLean, VA (August 19, 2025) - The history books have immortalized the event as the “Santa Claus Bank Robbery.” It occurred on December 23, 1927, in the central Texas town of Cisco. The robbery is one of the most infamous crimes in Texas history, having resulted in the largest manhunt ever seen in the state. After being freed from prison for an earlier bank robbery, Marshall Ratliff hatched a plan to rob his hometown bank in Cisco. He gathered a crew of other ex-cons to assist in the crime. Ratliff knew that he would be recognized by his hometown residents, so he planned the heist for late December so he could disguise himself with a Santa Claus costume and blend in with the holiday crowd. During the robbery, a woman in the bank managed to escape and tell the local police chief. Officers surrounded the bank and a 10-minute shootout took place. When it was over, Cisco Police Chief George “Bit” Bedford and Officer George Carmichael were mortally wounded. After an intense manhunt, one of the robbers was dead from his gunshot wounds and the three others were captured. Ratliff, the ringleader, was lynched by an angry mob nearly two years later after killing another lawman, Eastland County (TX) Deputy Thomas Jones, during an escape attempt.

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