Did Daredevil Evel Knievel Escape FBI's Investigation?

Evel Knievel, who escaped death each time he rode his motorcycle over cliffs and cars, might have also escaped FBI prosecution.

The Associated Press has just obtained 290 pages of FBI documents that reveal multiple testimonies alleging that Knievel had a history of assault, battery and intimidation. The report also draws a potential connection between Knievel and a "crime syndicate." In 1977, Knievel pleaded guilty to battery and served six months in jail after beating his promoter, Shelly Saltman, with an aluminum baseball bat. Saltman wrote a book that portrayed Knievel as "an alcoholic, pill addict," the AP notes. But the FBI file shows Knievel’s rage possibly ran deeper.

According to the AP, the FBI file was heavily redacted and names have been wiped out, but many firsthand accounts remain.

One anonymous source claimed that he received a threatening phone call, and shortly after was beaten by a Knievel associate who left him hospitalized, the AP reports.

Through the years, Knieval amazed and horrified many fans with his stunts. One of his most disastrous crashes happened New Year’s Eve 1967 — when he attempted to jump 151 feet over the fountains at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas. He lost control, crashed in a parking lot and wound up with broken bones and was comatose for 29 days.

Born Robert Craig Knievel, "Evel" died at the age of 69 in Clearwater, FL.