September 21, 1970, was Murray's 20th birthday. It was also one of the worst days of his life. After a family birthday celebration in Chicago, Murray was all set to fly back to Denver to resume his pre-med studies at Regis college. As he was waiting in line to board his flight at O'Hare International Airport, he made the mistake of telling one of his fellow passengers that he was carrying two bombs in his suitcase.
A ticket agent overheard Murray's joke and immediately summoned a couple of U.S. marshals, who proceeded to root through Murray's luggage. They didn't find any explosives, but they did discover five two-pound "bricks" of marijuana. That much weed was worth $20,000 at the time (about six times as much today). In a panic, Murray tried to stash the pot-filled bags in a locker, but Chicago vice cops arrived on the scene and arrested him. He did manage to swallow a check from one of his "customers" before cops confiscated his suitcase. "That guy owes me his life and reputation," Murray said later.
Murray was charged with possession of marijuana and ordered to appear in narcotics court the next day. The bust made the front page of the Chicago Tribune. Because he was a first-time offender, Murray was spared jail time and placed on probation for five years. But his college career was over. After talking it over with his family, Murray opted to drop out of Regis before his criminal record got him kicked out.
Excerpted from The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray by Robert Schnakenberg. Reprinted with permission from Quirk Books.
