40 Facts About Heather Tallchief

Early Life and Family Background

Heather Tallchief's story begins with a challenging childhood that set the stage for her future decisions.

1. Heather Tallchief was born in 1972 in Buffalo, New York.
2. Her parents were teenagers when she was born, and they separated when she was just a toddler.
3. Heather is a natural-born member of the Seneca, an Indigenous group of Native Americans from upstate New York.
4. Her childhood was marked by bullying and an unstable home environment.
5. Heather's father, Fred Tallchief, was a drug addict who was granted sole custody of Heather.
6. Her mother left the family when Heather was just a toddler, leaving her in the care of her father.

Education and Early Employment

Heather's early life was turbulent, but she managed to find some stability through education and work.

7. Heather attended a Catholic high school and later moved to San Francisco in 1987 to live with her mother.
8. She earned a general equivalency diploma and became a certified nursing assistant.
9. Heather worked at Bay Area clinics for four years until her growing cocaine use led to her termination.

The Move to Las Vegas

A pivotal moment in Heather's life was her decision to move to Las Vegas, a city that would change her life forever.

10. In 1993, at the age of 21, Heather moved to Las Vegas, seeking a new start.
11. This decision surprised her family and friends, as she had no prior connection to the city.

Meeting Roberto Solis

Heather's life took a dramatic turn when she met Roberto Solis, a man with a dark past and a magnetic personality.

12. Heather met Roberto Solis at a nightclub in San Francisco.
13. Solis was a charismatic poet and convicted murderer who had gunned down an armored car guard during a failed robbery in 1969.
14. Despite his violent history, Solis was reformed and wrote critically-acclaimed poetry under the pseudonym "Pancho Aguila".

The Heist

The heist that made Heather Tallchief infamous was meticulously planned and executed.

15. In 1993, Heather drove an armored truck full of millions in Las Vegas casino money.
16. Heather and Solis used a garage under a fake identity to load the cash into luggage and boxes.
17. They initially fled to Denver, then briefly hid out in Florida and the Caribbean before flying to Amsterdam, where Heather was disguised as a man.

Life on the Run

For over a decade, Heather and Solis lived a life of constant evasion, always staying one step ahead of the law.

18. The FBI began investigating Heather and Solis immediately after the heist.
19. Despite their best efforts, the FBI received few meaningful leads, and Heather remained elusive.
20. Heather was eventually listed as the #3 most wanted fugitive on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List, a position she held for four years.
21. Heather was known for her masterful use of disguises, making her difficult to identify.
22. For 12 years, Heather lived on the run, always looking over her shoulder.
23. Heather and Solis moved frequently, using various aliases and disguises to evade capture.

Return and Arrest

Heather's life on the run eventually came to an end when she made a surprising decision.

24. On September 12, 2005, Heather Tallchief turned herself in at a federal courthouse.
25. She was 32 years old at the time and faced 10 criminal counts, all felonies.
26. Heather was charged with embezzlement, bank fraud, bank robbery, making false statements, and using a firearm in the commission of a violent crime.
27. Heather claimed that Solis had brainwashed her with sex, drugs, and magic.
28. She believed that he had split her psyche with VHS tapes that "opened your mind but made you more receptive to suggestion."

Professionalism and Skills

Despite her criminal activities, Heather's professional life showed a different side of her capabilities.

29. Heather's employment history at Loomis Armored Inc was more complex than portrayed in media.
30. She was promoted from casino house runs to cash machine runs due to her reliability and skills.
31. Heather aced a firing range test required for all employees who wished to carry firearms on duty.
32. Her coworkers described her as professional and reliable.
33. Heather wore unfashionable glasses and had her hair always tied back, contrasting with media depictions.

The Goodbye Letter

A poignant moment in Heather's story is the goodbye letter she wrote to her mother.

34. A goodbye letter written by Heather to her mother was found in their Las Vegas apartment after the heist.
35. In the letter, Heather expressed doubt about ever seeing her mother again and stated that they had never been true friends.

Media Coverage and Public Fascination

Heather's case captivated the public and media, making her a well-known figure in true crime stories.

36. Heather Tallchief held the position of #3 on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List in 1997.
37. Heather's case was featured on various true crime shows, including Unsolved Mysteries, Dateline, and America's Most Wanted.

Solis's Influence and Reformation

Roberto Solis played a significant role in Heather's life, both as a mentor and a manipulator.

38. Roberto Solis had a violent past, having gunned down an armored car guard during a failed robbery in 1969.
39. Despite this, he was reformed and wrote critically-acclaimed poetry, which helped secure his release from prison in 1991.
40. Solis presented himself as a normal person who wrote poetry and had a sense of humor, making him more appealing to Heather.

Heather Tallchief's Path to Redemption

Heather Tallchief's story is a wild ride from a troubled childhood to a daring heist and life on the run. Born in Buffalo, New York, she faced a rocky start with her parents' separation and her father's addiction. Meeting Roberto Solis, a charismatic poet and convicted murderer, changed her life forever. Under his influence, she participated in a meticulously planned armored truck heist in Las Vegas in 1993. For 12 years, she evaded capture, living a life filled with disguises and constant movement. Eventually, Heather realized this wasn't the life she wanted. In 2005, she turned herself in, facing multiple felony charges. Her decision to come clean marked a significant step towards redemption. Heather's journey highlights the complex web of circumstances that can lead someone down an unexpected path, but also the possibility of making things right.