After 87 years, the man who was called in as a mediator during the 1992 Ruby Ridge Standoff, James “Bo” Gritz, has died.
Bo served as a Special Forces officer during the Vietnam War and had officially attained the rank of lieutenant colonel when he retired in 1979.
Bo was born in 1939 in Enid, Oklahoma, and died at his home in Sandy Valley, Nevada, on February 27, 2026.
During the 1992 Ruby Ridge standoff in Boundary County, Gritz flew to Idaho at the request of federal agents to negotiate with Randy Weaver, who held out for two weeks after U.S. Marshals alerted and shot one of the family’s dogs, Stryker, sparking a gunfight that left both Weaver’s son, Sam, 14, and U.S. Marshal William Degan dead. Two days later, acting under altered rules of engagement, FBI shot and wounded Randy as he ran into the family cabin. A second shot wounded family friend Kevin Harris, following behind Weaver. That bullet passed through the cabin door, hitting and killing family matriarch Vicki Weaver as she held her infant daughter, Elisheba.
“Gritz’s intervention convinced Weaver to surrender to federal agents, ultimately saving his life and the lives of his family.” According to the Los Vegas Review Journal.
After leaving the military, Gritz became involved in politics, drawing attention for his association with conspiracy theories, militia movements and the Christian Patriot movement. He ran for president in 1992 under the Populist Party.
His wife, Judy posted on Facebook, “Bo just peacefully passed. His Comrades welcoming him. What took you so long colonel? He’s looking into the eyes of our Savior.”
Bo was a real American Hero. After all his time in Vietnam and his accomplishments for Veterans, He felt he still had a duty to stand up for the little guy no one listens to or helps, and he did! Very few adults are privileged enough to still have a hero figure-he was mine. He was human with faults, but his heart was huge and his intentions honorable. His motto was, “Do what’s Right, no matter the cost”. He was my protector and adviser, during the most challenging time in my life. He kept federal agents from shooting me in the back while trying to help convince my friends to leave the mountain and make their case in court. He helped me carry the body of my good friend from her own kitchen, and was the first person to comfort me after cleaning up the mess of Vicki being shot in the head.
He supported me when I was called to a Grand Jury in Boise and again when I was called before the Senate for hearings on domestic terrorism. Bo was a big supporter of my family, kind to my children and a good friend. He accomplished much good in his lifetime and the world was a better place because he was in it.
Our condolences to all the family, GODSPEED TO YOU SIR!,A true hero, patriot and supreme credit to the Army and all branches of the armed services, a wonderful man and a credit to our nation, Thankyou Bo for all you have done with the grace bestowed upon u, and the unselfish dispatch of that grace towards others, a true friend of our family and guardian of my late grandma Anna, sincerely Joe and Diane Inman Wellington Nv.