Naman Shrestha
In Hulu’s ‘Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae,’ the primary focus might be on the life and murder case of the American Indian Movement member Annie Mae, but several other fellow members of the AIM were also discussed in the insightful interviews. One of them was Leonard Peltier, who not only suspected Annie of being a government informant but also got in trouble with the law over the killings of a couple of FBI agents.
Leonard Peltier Was Convicted For Being Involved in the Murder of Two FBI Agents
Leonard Peltier was born on September 12, 1944, at the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa near Belcourt, North Dakota. Until he was four years old, he lived among his parents and 12 siblings. But after their divorce, the family was broken apart. He and his sister, Betty Ann, moved in with their paternal grandparents on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation. While he was a student at the Wahpeton Indian School in Wahpeton, North Dakota, he and the rest of the students were forced to forbid the inclusion of Native American culture.
After graduating from the school in 1957, he went to the Flandreau Indian School in Flandreau, South Dakota, where he finished the ninth grade. Later, he earned a GED (general equivalency degree) and settled in Seattle, Washington, where he wore many hats. After spending the majority of his twenties working as a construction worker, a welder, and the co-owner of an auto shop, he became a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) in 1972. It was a movement founded and led by Native Americans who wanted to raise awareness about their rights. Meanwhile, he got married twice and became a father to nine children, including two adopted children.
His fate changed on June 26, 1975, when he got involved in the shooting murder of two FBI agents — Jack Coler and Ronald Williams — who were in the Jumping Bull Ranch allegedly to take Jimmy Eagle into custody. While a couple of AIM members — Darrell Dean Butler and Robert Robideau — were charged with the murder of the FBI agents, Leonard managed to escape the country and hide in Canada. The two accused were found not guilty due to a lack of evidence. Around the same time, being a high-level AIM leader, Leonard also raised suspicions about the loyalty of a fellow AIM member — Annie Mae. After spending several months on the run, Leonard was finally arrested in Hinton, Alberta, on February 6, 1976, and extradited to the States.
Leonard Peltier’s Health is in Decline While He Remains Behind Bars
In the following year, Leonard Peltier was reportedly found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder related to the 1975 murders of two FBI agents. For his involvement in the crime, he was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. Amidst several controversies connected to the case, the defense attorneys appealed his convictions and petitioned for a new trial. However, when the appeals were denied and he was transferred to Lompoc prison in California in 1979, he hatched an escape plan. However, his days of freedom lasted only a few days as he was recaptured by the authorities. Over the years, Leonard weaved different stories about the morning of the shoot-out.
In one interview, he claimed that he was in Oglala working on a car during the shooting, while in another, he claimed that he was asleep in his tent at the ranch encampment when the gunshots woke him up. However, according to his 1999 memoir titled ‘Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance,’ he admitted to being a part of the shooting but claimed that he was not responsible for the deaths of the two FBI agents. Despite being incarcerated, he ran for president of the United States in 2004 and ended up with over 27,000 votes. Leonard and his defense attorneys have appealed his conviction and requested clemency multiple times over the last couple of decades, but all of them have been rejected. In 2024, he based his parole request on many factors, including his nonviolent record in prison, his age, and his declining health.
However, in early July 2024, despite his claims of innocence all these years, the US Parole Commission denied his appeal once again. A letter denying his parole request stated, “Over the last 45 years, no fewer than 22 federal judges have evaluated the evidence and considered Peltier’s legal arguments. Each has reached the same conclusion: Peltier’s claims are meritless, and his convictions and sentence must stand.” It was also declared that the next parole hearing is scheduled for 2026. In late October 2024, Leonard had to be hospitalized due to some health concerns. A couple of days later, he was discharged but allegedly still required proper medical care. As of now, he is reportedly held at the United States Penitentiary, Coleman, in Wildwood, Florida, trying to request executive clemency.
Read More: Where is Annie Mae’s Family Now?
