The federal murder trials of two men charged with killing Osages in the early 1920s will be featured in a seminar and exhibit opening Dec. 7 at the Old U.S. Post Office Building and Courthouse.
Presented by the Historical Society of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, “The Osage Reign of Terror: The Untold Legal History” tracks the murders of wealthy Osage tribal members, the arrival of agents with the Bureau of Investigation who investigated, and the Federal Prosecutors who charged William K. Hale and John Ramsey with a number of the murders.
The federal trials that followed resulted in a landmark Supreme Court ruling, charges of witness and juror tampering, and high courtroom drama, according to a press release. The events took place in Fairfax, Pawhuska, Guthrie and Oklahoma City and are featured in the book and film, “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
A reception hosted by the Historical Society and featuring a documentary film about the trials as well as Federal Court and Osage dignitaries will be held at 4 p.m. on Dec. 7 in the Federal Judicial Learning Center and Museum.
The event is co-sponsored by the Bank of Oklahoma and The Federal Bar Association – Oklahoma City Chapter. The exhibit is open to the public beginning Dec. 8, 2023, through October 2024.
Email Leigh Dudley, Executive Director at leigh@fjlcm.org or Arvo Mikkanen at arvo.mikkanen@usdoj.gov for more information. Contact via text at (405) 697-6117 or (405) 420-9912.