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«Matix Meat vestigating Burnett and his com- > dLast June, the disagreement came to a bead. Nebraskan says ee . DAN CHRISTENSEN WAlary ews R aperter Ten months before Bill Matix and Michael Platt killed two Miami FBI agents in the bloodiest gunfight in FBI history, a Nebraska Man gegen “4. says, the pair abducted him and ares threatened to kill him — over a - business deal. “They were bloodcurdling characters. They terrified me," said Earle M. “Fad" Burnett IL. “They told me they were going to dismember me.” U.S. postal authorities are In- pany, focusing on complaints that Matix Burnett sold defective vending machines through the mail, said Art Thompson, a U.S. postal inspector in Omaha. Burnett declined comment on the probe. Matix and Platt bought vending machines from Burnett. That purchase led to the alleged abduction and, subsequently, a lawsuit filed by Matix accusing Burnett of slander. According to the court file of the slander suit, ob- tained from a county court in Lincoln, Neb., Matix and Platt purchased vending machines from Burnett in early 1985. in an interview with The Miaml News, Burnett said the 10 reconditioned cigarette, candy and soda machines cost Matix and Platt $10,000. “They got in touch with me after they saw an ad in USA Today,” said Burnett. “I got the impression they were going to start a route. They told me they were in with the local boys down there, criminals, but I took thal with e grain of salt.” Burnett, 59, owner of Frost Corp., said that shortly after Matix and Platt bought the machines they de- cided they no longer wanted to go into the business and shipped them back lo Nebraska in damaged con- tion. “They demanded to be given thelr money back. I didn't refund them any money, but sent them a letter telling them that when the machines were fixed up and resold that they would get some back,” said Bur- sett. Matix, however, contended in papers filed to sup- ~ port his slander sult that the vending machines were Teturned because they didn't work and claimed Bur- oett misled him about a refund, Burnett, In a counterclaim filed in the slander case, said he was leaving home for work about 7:30 a.m. June 18 e was “accosted” by Matix, 32, and att, 35. me They “indicated to (Burnett) that they were armed with a hand gun and knives and that they would kill (him) unless he refunded the entire amount of the sale price to them immediately,” the counterclaim seys. “During this conversation William Matix and Michae! Piatt each kept his hand in his pocket and each made certain gestures that indicated that he had a weapon inside his pocket.” Matix's account of the Incident makes no mention of the alleged abduction at Burnett's home. Burnett, who said he later learned that the pair had watched him for two days before confronting him, said Matix and Platt used the abduction to play “a good guy-bad guy routine” with him. “Matix appeared to be the perfect gentleman most of the time,” he said. “Ninety percent of the threats came from Platt, but {t was obvious they were work- ing together.” Burnett said he stalled for time, telling Matix and Platt that he couldn't get any money until the banks opened later that morning. He said that after the pair forced him to accompany them, he suggested they go downtown for breakfast. He recommended a place he knew police were sure to be, he said. Matix and Burnett's accounts agree on what hap- pened next. “While at Kuhl's Restaurant eating breakfast, (Burnett) suddenly jumped to his feet and ran to a ta- ble where several Lincoln police officers were sitting and complained in a voice that could be heard throughout the establishment that (Matix) was threatening to kill (Burnett)” states Matix's com- laint. P Sgt. Adolph Hynek was one of the officers at the restaurant that day. . “It all happened so fast 1 thought jt was a joke,” Hynek said in an Interview. “I remember Burnett saying, ‘Help. These guys want to get me.” The startied police took Matix and Platt outside and searched them and their rental car for weapons. None were found and no charges were filed. "We checked them out, but it looked like they (Matix end Platt) had a legitimate complaint,” said Sgt. Richard Kohles. “No charges were filed because there was nothing to back up Burnett's statement.” Matix and Piatt, furious about Burnett's story to police, began looking for a lawyer. Across the street from the restaurant they found the office-ef-Gtanley D. Cohen. - “They were angry. because they hed deen ac- cused,” Cohen said. “They wanted to be vindicated.” Cohen agreed to take the case for $200, court costs and 40 percent of whatever was recovered from Bur- nett. He filed sult Aug. 20 alleging that Matix was , Platt menaced him —_—_ Le ee ep