[meteorite-list] FWD from Mike Farmer - Robbery in Kenya

From: Eric Wichman <eric_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:03:33 -0700
Message-ID: <4E8F9355.5020509_at_meteoritesusa.com>

Glad you're safe! That was too close.

Eric

On 10/7/2011 11:36 AM, Art wrote:
> Forwarded from Mike:
>
> "Yesterday I was robbed in Thika, Kenya by a group of men armed with
> at least one gun, handcuffs and machetes. We were attacked after being
> led into the field to buy meteorites. It was a well-planned and
> prepared ambush set up by some of my contacts. They knew that
> yesterday was my last day in the field and they wanted all the money.
> I knew it was dangerous to return to the field for a third time but
> they lured me back to Kenya with stories of many mo stones. I bought a
> 209 gram stone yesterday just after arriving, but then our contacts
> told us that for 3 more pieces we had to pick up a guy and he would
> take us to the location. Should have known this was a disaster, but
> overconfident. We drove through the del Monte pineapple fields toward
> Mwana Wikio so I knew it was the strewn field area so was not
> concerned. We arrived in a desolate area with a small stone building
> and after waiting about 2 minutes two guys walked past the car,
> nothing abnormal in Africa. Suddenly I saw a guy run up beside our car
> with a gun and my driver tried to start the car but it was too late, 5
> or 6 guys ambushed us including the guy in the car. They beat my
> driver and other guy with us, forced them out of nuts car and locked
> them in the trunk. I was sandwiched in between two guys with a machete
> at my throat, a very sharp one. I kept telling the to relax, take the
> money, they were all yelling in English and Swahili for me to give
> them the dollars. I kept telling them I had Kenyan shillings only. I
> had about $2500 cash me, they ripped my clothes apart and ransacked
> the car. They took my phones American and Kenyan, wallet, passport,
> backpack with meteorite, camera etc, even took my Teva sandals off my
> feet, one man had the gun at my head the other the machete at my
> throat the entire time so I could not move. One kept screaming at them
> to "kill him, finish it";. I must have been more calm than at any
> other time in my life and you all know I am not a calm person. Oddly
> it seemed like time was standing still, all this activity around me
> and yelling and I just kept telling them to relax, take the money and
> let us go. Suddenly all of them got in the car, me and 3 in the back
> and two in the front and they moved the car into the woods, brush. I
> was then realizing that they were likely going to kill us, why move
> the car after you get all the stuff? Then one guy said again to kill
> me and the other said no. He then threw me my passport and wallet
> empty of cash of course, and said "no documents" then ask me if I
> could drive. I said yes and he told me to drive. I tried to get out
> but one hit me in the head with something and told me not to get out
> but to go over the seats, I was then panicking and struggling to get
> to the front of the car, but somehow got the car started and they all
> ran. I drove very fast down very bad dirt trail with my two guys in
> the trunk screaming, after maybe a mile or so I stopped and let them
> out. We rushed to the Thika main police station and reported the
> robbery.
>
> It was foolish to go into the bush and I nearly paid with my life this
> time, they planned the attack for days communicating with my driver.
> The police are pulling all his call records so should be able to catch
> them. They took a lot of expensive things like my Tag Heur watch, Sony
> camera, I phone etc, all can be found as no one there has money for
> such things. Sentence for violent armed robbery here is mandatory life
> in prison, which the police told me would be lucky to pass 10 years
> before dying.
>
> My wife decided to stay in the hotel in Nairobi thank god she was
> scared and told me not to go. She knew something bad was going to
> happen. Heading home now, a lot poorer but happy to have my head
> attached."
>
> Michael Farmer
>
> Sent from my iPad
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Received on Fri 07 Oct 2011 08:03:33 PM PDT