The Mystery Behind The Alabama Postal Robbery Explained
For small-town postal worker Opal Johnson in Epes, Alabama, the day before Halloween in 1987 began just like any other day. When she went to work that morning, little did she know that by the end of the day she would be robbed and kidnapped, only to narrowly escape thanks to her own quick thinking. The mystery behind the crime remains unsolved, and the suspects have never been found.
It was around 11 a.m. when two men she didn't recognize entered Opal Johnson's post office, pulling a gun and demanding $700 in cash and stamps before taking the unsuspecting postal worker hostage. One man even seemed to have some knowledge of the postal system, and may have himself been an employee of the Postal Service, according to Unsolved. Following the robbery, Opal Johnson was forced to her car and told to drive far out into the country, with the other man following in his vehicle. It was the most frightening ride of her life.
She managed to escape
The gun remained visible for the entirety of Opal Johnson's car ride with the man who had just robbed her and her post office. According to The Lineup, the two men took Opal's credit cards and rings after pulling into a clearing next to nearby Goggan's Lake, finally forcing Johnson into the trunk of her car. In that terrifying moment, the only thought in her mind was that they intended to drive the car into the lake with her inside, leaving her for dead.
No one knows for sure what those men intended. Johnson did hear the two men arguing what to do next. One man wanted to kill her, while the other wanted to spare her life. Finally, and for whatever reason, the two men left, leaving Johnson trapped in the trunk (Per Unsolved). Once she was sure they were gone, Johnson gathered her courage and managed to find a tire iron with which to free herself. She died in 2010, and unfortunately, the two men who perpetrated these crimes remain at large.