Bonnie and Clyde met their end 90 years ago in a shower of gunfire.

Bonnie and Clyde were killed by law enforcement officers 90 years back.

In the world of criminal lore, Bonnie and Clyde are often viewed as the epitome of adventure and romance. However, these notorious outlaws were responsible for the deaths of at least thirteen people during their robberies. Why do we romanticize criminals?

This infamous cat-and-mouse chase in American history ended 90 years ago with a hail of bullets in the state of Louisiana. Near the village of Sailes, Bonnie Parker and Clyde "Champion" Barrow met their demise after being ambushed by a group of police officers. Their Ford DeLuxe couldn't stop in time, and the law enforcement officials fired more than 100 bullets at the vehicle, killing the notorious gangster couple on May 23, 1934.

Nine decades after their death, Bonnie and Clyde are still legendary figures. Countless books, movies, and songs tell their tales. A notable example is Arthur Penn's film "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, which has given the criminal duo a cult following. The German punk rock band Toten Hosen even sang about them in 1996, "Put your head on my shoulder/It's nice to feel it there/And we'll play Bonnie and Clyde/Come on, let's steal a car/I'll drive you around in it/And we'll play Bonnie and Clyde."

Who were these criminals that we often idealize? They met in 1930 when they were both in their early twenties and came from poor backgrounds in the slums of Dallas. Both were looking for a better life. Bonnie Parker was an artistically talented woman with an ambitious spirit; her husband was in prison for murder. Clyde Barrow worked as a crook and thief.

It was love at first sight. However, Clyde was incarcerated for two years soon after. Upon his release, he was full of anger and vengeance towards the Texas justice system for his time in prison. He would rather die than go back. This marked the beginning of their criminal career, as they traveled across the country with stolen cars. Every time they ran out of money, they committed a robbery. And by the time the police arrived on the scene, Bonnie and Clyde had already disappeared.

The car riddled with bullets in which Bonnie and Clyde died.

Bloody Robberies

Their criminal activities were not just for minor offenses; the crimes eventually escalated into murders. Bonnie and Clyde went from stealing food to robbing banks. And as the police gained more knowledge about their whereabouts, Clyde increasingly relied on his gun to defend himself and Bonnie.

Clyde's rage only intensified when the duo freed five prisoners from the prison he despised in early 1934. This prompted a coordinated effort by police forces across state lines to hunt the couple down. When they returned from a party on May 23rd, the officers lured them into an ambush on the side of the highway and opened fire.

Revenge and Love

Two short, intense lives: Bonnie Parker (r) and Clyde

Researchers suggest that part of the reason for their iconic status is due to the time in which they operated - during the Great Depression era. Many people saw Bonnie and Clyde as rebels against the system and the despair caused by widespread poverty. Some even compared them to Robin Hood - as avengers against state failures.

The idea of love being a part of their story also added to their allure. The media further fueled the notion of freedom and determination, making for a captivating storyline, making it appealing not only to their generation but also to future generations. These stories sold well in various forms of media, including films, music, and literature.

In the end, millions of Americans had a story to dream about, even if it involved the tragic end to the lives of others and the destruction of families. Bonnie's last wish was to be buried next to her lover, as revealed in a poem she gave her mother during her last visit: "One day they will go down together, and they will be buried side by side." But the family did not honor this request; Bonnie and Clyde's graves are in different Dallas cemeteries. Clyde's gravestone reads, "Gone but not forgotten."