Lola Marie Colson Elwood, a 43-year-old White/Caucasian female, was tragically killed on September 26, 2002, during a violent bank robbery in Norfolk, Nebraska. She was one of five people murdered inside the U.S. Bank branch during the heist. The other victims were fellow employees Jo Ann Mausbach, Lisa Bryant, and Samuel Sun, as well as a customer, Evonne Tuttle.
The robbery was carried out by four men: Jose Sandoval, Jorge Galindo, Erick Vela, and Gabriel Rodriguez.
The assailants entered the bank and, in a harrowing span of just 40 seconds, shot and killed the five victims. The brutality of the crime sent shockwaves through the Norfolk community. Law enforcement acted swiftly, apprehending three of the suspects—Sandoval, Galindo, and Vela—during a traffic stop in O'Neill, Nebraska, shortly after the robbery. The fourth suspect, Rodriguez, was captured later that same night.
All four men faced legal proceedings for their roles in the horrific crime. Jose Sandoval, Jorge Galindo, and Erick Vela were ultimately sentenced to death for the murders. Gabriel Rodriguez received multiple life sentences. The trials brought to light the cold-blooded and calculated nature of the attack, offering a measure of justice to the families of the victims. The U.S. Bank branch where the tragedy occurred was later demolished and replaced with a memorial park to honor the lives of Lola Elwood and the other four individuals who lost their lives on that devastating day.
