Bonnie and Clyde: The Most Romanticized Criminal Couple

What do you think of when you think of the Great Depression? Most people do not think of Bonnie and Clyde, but they impacted the world vastly during this time period. For about two years, Bonnie and Clyde went on a crime spree that changed the world greatly. Many people had different opinions on them throughout the whole two years. Bonnie and Clyde left an impact on the world with the rebellious life they lived and the dedication to each other, even when they broke the law and times were hard.

Bonnie Parker was born on October 1, 1910, in the little town of Rowena, Texas. Her father, Charles Parker, was a bricklayer and passed away when Bonnie was only 4. Her widowed mother, Emma Parker, then moved the family to a suburb of Dallas known as Cement City. Bonnie grew up with two siblings, one brother and one sister, and all were very bright students at local schools. Bonnie showed interest in poetry and literature while in school, and earned honors in all of her studies. She was thought to be very beautiful, and had dreams of becoming an actress. Bonnie showed no criminal path while in school that anyone could see.

On her second year of high school, Bonnie became involved with her classmate Roy Thorton. Six days before turning 16, she married him and they attempted to start a life together. Roy was physically abusive, so the marriage did not last. In May of 1929, Roy went to jail on a charge of robbery and they never saw each other again.

Clyde Barrow was born on March 24, 1909, in Tellico, Texas. He was the fifth of seven children born to Cumie T. Walker (mom) and Henry Basil Barrow (dad). His family owned a farm but it failed due to drought, so they moved to Dallas, where he would later meet Bonnie. Clyde attended school until he was 16, and had plans of becoming a musician. He also enjoyed playing the saxophone and guitar. His older brother, Marvin Ivan Barrow (also known as Buck), soon turned Clyde to a life of crime. It began with petty theft and soon escalated to armed robbery. By 1929, Clyde was only 20 and already wanted for several robberies

Clyde first met Bonnie in January of 1930. They met through a mutual friend when Bonnie was a waitress. Clyde was immediately smitten, and the two spent a lot of time together in the following weeks. The new romance was interrupted when Clyde went to jail for various counts of car theft. While in prison, Clyde wanted to escape to be with Bonnie again. Bonnie was more than willing to help her new found love escape jail so they can be together again. She smuggled a gun into the jailhouse for him, and Clyde used the weapon to escape with several of his cellmates. Not even a week after, they were caught and Clyde was sentenced to 14 years of hard labor.

Clyde was transferred to Eastham State Farm. While he was serving, Clyde and Bonnie wrote to each other. His thoughts once again returned to escape. To be relieved of his hard work, he cut of his big toe and part of another toe. Unknown to him, his mother planned on talking to the judge about putting Clyde on parole. Once on parole, he and Bonnie reunited. He went on a crime spree with a small group of men, robbing banks and small businesses. Bonnie joined, but was caught after a failed robbery attempt and was sentenced to two months (Bonnie Parker Biography)

While waiting for her trial, Bonnie wrote poetry. Many of her works had to do with Clyde and their relationship. One of her poems was titled “The Trails End” and some of it seemed to tell about the couple’s future. The last stanza reads “Someday they'll go down together/ And they'll bury them side by side/ To few it will be grief/ To the law it’s a relief/ but it’s death for Bonnie and Clyde”.

In June of 1932, the court did not convict Bonnie because she said she was kidnapped by the barrow gang. Once released from custody, she rejoined Clyde and they resumed their crime spree with several others. They took part in robberies that spanned several states (Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Missouri). By 1933, the gang was wanted for several murders, including the deaths of law enforcement officers.

In April of 1933, the gang met at Clyde’s brothers (Buck’s) apartment in Joplin, Missouri. Also there was W.D. Jones and Buck’s wife. Neighbors grew suspicious and called the police. A shootout took place, but the five escaped, leaving two dead law enforcement officials behind. Also left behind was a role of film that contained pictures of Bonnie and Clyde. Joplin Globe immediately published the images, and that is when Bonnie and Clyde received national attention. In June of that year, Bonnie was in a car accident that badly injured her leg, she had to be carried mostly for the rest of her life.

The crime spree continued, with Blanche (Buck’s wife), W.D. Jones, Buck, Bonnie, and Clyde. In July, police got word of them in Platte City, Missouri, and another shootout took place. Buck was seriously wounded, and died of his wounds shortly after. After her husband's death, Blanche turned herself in and was sentenced to 10 years in jail. Jones separated from Bonnie and Clyde and was caught by authorities in November of 1933. Clyde did another jailbreak for his friend, Henry Methvin, in January of 1934, and that is when a posse, including former Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, began the search for Bonnie and Clyde. 

Bonnie and Clyde sought refuge at Henry ́s family farm in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. Frank Hamer learned of their whereabouts, and wanted help from Henry ́s father, Ivan Methvin. Ivan agreed to help, as long as his son got leniency. May 23, 1934, Bonnie and Clyde were driving down a Louisiana back road when they saw Ivan Methvin standing by his broken down truck. They did not know that a posse of officers lay in wait. When they stopped to help him with his truck, the police opened fire. Clyde was shot first and died instantly. Some people claim they could hear Bonnie ́s scream in agony as she was struck by several gunshots.

The couple was so famous at the time of death, that people were showing up at the crime spree to take things, like locks of hair, pieces of clothing, and even one of Clyde ́s ears. Despite wishes to be buried together, they were buried apart. Thousands traveled to the funerals, and even newspapers published special editions to cover the deaths. Bonnie and Clyde were heavily romanticized by the media, even after the crimes they committed. After almost 100 years later, they are still talked about, and their bullet-riddled car remains on display in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Bonnie and Clyde lived on the edge and were loved by some and hated by others. Many movies of the crime spree have been made, such as the 1967 Arthur Penn Film “Bonnie and Clyde”. The couple never broke apart, even through jail time. They never betrayed each other and knew they could trust each other. It is said that Bonnie died in Clyde’s arms, and that just shows that through thick and thin, they never left each other's side.