▁Washington , ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁or ▁ 1 9 5 9 . ▁He ▁found ▁season al ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁pilot ▁for ▁a ▁small ▁air line ▁there , ▁and ▁met ▁his ▁wife ▁Mary ▁Sue ▁(* ca . ▁ 1 9 3 9 ), ▁whom ▁he ▁married ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 5 9 . ▁She ▁became ▁pre gn ant ▁in ▁mid - 1 9 6 0 ▁and ▁would ▁later ▁give ▁birth ▁to ▁a ▁daughter , ▁while ▁van ▁Ste enberg h ▁was ▁await ing ▁trial . ▁As ▁of ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁van ▁Ste enberg h ▁was ▁un emp loy ed . ▁ ▁Rob ber y ▁ ▁As ▁van ▁Ste enberg h ▁would ▁later ▁conf ess , ▁“ In ▁the ▁early ▁part ▁of ▁October , ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁I ▁felt ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁get ▁more ▁money ▁for ▁my ▁family ▁because ▁I ▁felt ▁that ▁they ▁des erved ▁more ▁than ▁they ▁were ▁getting ▁from ▁me .” ▁He ▁considered ▁three ▁banks ▁and ▁eventually ▁chose ▁as ▁his ▁target ▁the ▁sub urban ▁South ▁Seattle ▁branch ▁of ▁Pe op les ▁National ▁Bank ▁of ▁Washington , ▁where ▁he ▁had ▁an ▁account ▁and ▁knew ▁the ▁location ▁of ▁the ▁v ault . ▁Its ▁neighborhood ▁consisted ▁mostly ▁of ▁small ▁business es ▁and ▁single - family ▁homes , ▁and ▁was ▁virt ually ▁desert ed ▁after ▁dark . ▁The ▁bank ▁was ▁adjacent ▁to ▁an ▁und e velop ed ▁plot ▁of ▁land , ▁separated ▁from ▁the ▁bank ▁building ▁only ▁by ▁an ▁earth ▁emb ank ment ▁and ▁the ▁al ley