‘Cowboy Hat Bandit’ cold case suspect commits suicide

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“On December 14, 2021, we were notified that this individual Mark Alan Long was believed to be the suspect associated with the DNA profiles found at three of the bank robberies at Oklahoma City and Arlington,” detective Erik Whitlock explained.

It was the relatively new science of DNA technology that the match was made. Long’s DNA matched some found of the bank robberies, police said.

A DNA match on a public DNA comparison platform pointed to Long.

Undercover detectives got Long’s DNA from utensils and napkins he used in an Oklahoma restaurant to confirm the match. 

A search warrant for Long’s home was issued. 

Police also tracked a Jeep that Long had previously owned, damage consistent with a bullet hole was found. Along with DNA, and the gun evidence the Jeep truck had tailgate damage from Garner firing back.

Mark Long had kept the gun used in the bank robberies. And it was also used to shoot Garner in 2003.

“That weapon being found in context to him leaving it out in the interview as a weapon he owned got a lot of us excited,” Whitlock said. “That 19 years later he did actually keep the weapon he used in multiple bank robberies and to shoot officer Garner.”