You probably haven’t thought about Robert Mathews in a long time. Maybe you’ve never even heard the name. But in the early 1980s, he was the architect of a short-lived, incredibly violent spree that changed how the FBI deals with domestic extremism forever. He led a group called The Order. They weren't just guys in robes complaining in a backyard; they were a sophisticated, paramilitary organization that successfully robbed armored cars and murdered a high-profile radio host. It was a chaotic, bloody era that feels like a fever dream now, but the scars are still there if you know where to look.
They called themselves Brüder Schweigen—the Silent Brotherhood.
Mathews was a guy who felt the world was moving away from him. He was a recruit of the National Alliance, a group run by William Pierce. If that name sounds familiar, it's because Pierce wrote The Turner Diaries. That book is basically a fictional "how-to" guide for a race war. Mathews didn't want to just read it. He wanted to live it. He gathered a small circle of men on his farm in Metaline Falls, Washington, and they took a literal oath. They were going to fund a revolution.
Why The Order Still Matters to Modern Security
It’s easy to dismiss these guys as a relic of the Reagan era. We shouldn't. The Order created the blueprint. Before them, white supremacist groups were mostly talk. They were disorganized. Mathews changed that by focusing on "expropriation"—which is just a fancy word for robbing banks.
They weren't amateurs. In 1984, they pulled off a heist in Ukiah, California, that netted them over $3.6 million from a Brink’s armored car. That’s a staggering amount of money for a fringe group even today, let alone forty years ago. Most of that money was never recovered. It's widely believed it was distributed to other extremist leaders across the country, seeding movements that would persist for decades.
The Murder of Alan Berg
This is the part that usually shocks people who are new to this history. Alan Berg was a Denver radio personality. He was Jewish, loud, abrasive, and incredibly smart. He used to bait extremists on his show, mocking their logic and their hate. He was a local celebrity.
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On June 18, 1984, members of The Order waited for him outside his townhouse. As he stepped out of his black Volkswagen, they opened fire with a MAC-10. He didn't stand a chance. It wasn't a crime of passion; it was a calculated political assassination. It sent a chill through the media world. Suddenly, talking back to hate had a body count.
How the FBI Finally Cracked the Code
The feds weren't exactly winning at first. The Order was disciplined. They used aliases. They moved constantly. But like most criminal enterprises, they were undone by their own people.
Tom Martinez was a member who got caught passing counterfeit bills—another one of the group's "fundraising" methods. When the Secret Service leaned on him, he folded. He became an informant. He was the one who eventually led the FBI to Mathews.
The Siege at Whidbey Island
It ended in fire. It almost always does with these groups. In December 1984, the FBI cornered Robert Mathews in a house on Whidbey Island, Washington. It wasn't a quick surrender.
- The standoff lasted roughly 36 hours.
- Mathews fired hundreds of rounds at the agents.
- The FBI eventually dropped flares from a helicopter, which ignited a fire.
- Mathews refused to come out. He died in the basement.
The rest of the group didn't go down with the ship. Guys like Bruce Pierce, David Lane, and Richard Scutari were eventually rounded up. The subsequent trials in 1985 were massive. We're talking about RICO charges—the same laws used to take down the Mafia. It was the first time the government really used those tools against political extremists.
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Common Misconceptions About the Group
People think The Order was a massive army. Honestly? It was barely two dozen core members. Their "power" came from the fact that they were willing to do things other groups weren't. They didn't care about public relations. They cared about logistics.
Another mistake people make is thinking they were just "isolated loners." They weren't. They were deeply connected to the Aryan Nations compound in Hayden Lake, Idaho. Richard Butler, who ran the Aryan Nations, provided the ideological "church" where these guys met. The Order was the militant wing that the leadership could pretend they didn't control. It was a classic plausible deniability setup.
The Legacy of "14 Words"
You might have seen the number 14 on extremist graffiti. That comes directly from David Lane, a member of The Order who died in prison. He wrote what’s known as the "14 Words" while serving a 190-year sentence. It’s arguably the most famous slogan in the global white supremacist movement today. It’s a grim reminder that even though the group was dismantled, their ideas stayed "sticky."
The Financial Fallout
When you look at the $3.6 million they stole, you have to ask where it went. The FBI spent years tracing it.
- Some went to buying land in Idaho and Missouri.
- A lot went into sophisticated weaponry and night-vision gear.
- Significant portions were given to Glenn Miller of the White Patriot Party.
- Large sums simply vanished into the "movement."
The influx of cash changed the scene. It turned "backwoods" operations into entities that could afford printing presses, early computer bulletin board systems (BBS), and better legal defense.
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What We Can Learn from the 1985 Trials
The trials weren't just about punishment; they were a masterclass in how these groups recruit. They targeted men who felt economically disenfranchised. Sound familiar? It’s the same story we see today. The members of The Order weren't all "monsters" in the cartoonish sense. Many were fathers and neighbors who had become radicalized by a specific brand of apocalyptic literature.
The prosecution, led by Gene Wilson, had to prove that this wasn't just a series of random crimes, but a coordinated conspiracy to overthrow the government. They won. Most of the leadership received sentences that ensured they would never see the sun as free men again.
Actionable Insights for Identifying Extremist Patterns
Understanding the history of The Order helps us recognize similar patterns in modern movements. They rarely start with violence. They start with community building and "alternative" education.
- Watch the Money: Extremist groups need capital. While The Order robbed banks, modern groups use cryptocurrency or deceptive crowdfunding. Tracking the flow of money is still the most effective way to map these networks.
- Ideological Hubs: Just as the Aryan Nations compound served as a meeting ground, online forums now serve as the "digital compound." Look for places where radicalization is normalized through humor or shared grievances.
- The "Lone Wolf" Myth: Mathews acted like a leader, but he was part of a broader ecosystem. Rarely does someone radicalize in a vacuum. There is almost always a support structure, even if it's just digital.
- Literature Matters: Never underestimate the power of a book. The Turner Diaries was the catalyst for The Order. Today, different texts and "manifestos" serve the same purpose. Knowing what people are reading tells you where they are going.
The story of The Order is a dark chapter, but it’s a necessary one to understand. It shows how quickly a small group of committed people can cause absolute chaos if they are ignored. It also shows that the legal system, when used correctly, has the tools to dismantle even the most secretive organizations.
Staying informed about these historical precursors is the best way to ensure they don't repeat themselves under a different name.