AIM Myth Busters: Ten Reasons Why Leonard Peltier Should Never Be Freed

"The motherfu—er was begging for his life but I shot him anyway."---Leonard Peltier bragging about his execution-murder of the critically-wounded FBI Agent Ron Williams, according to the court testimony of Darlene P. Nichols, the former Ka-Mook Banks

On Tuesday, July 28, 2009, Leonard Peltier, who was convicted of aiding and abetting in the 6-26-75 execution-style murders of the badly-wounded FBI agents Jack R. Coler and Ronald A. Williams, will have a parole hearing.

There has been a deluge of mendacious, hate-filled, propagandistic pseudo-scholarship about these vicious murders, but AIM Myth Busters has set the record straight and listed "10 Reasons Why Leonard Peltier Should Never Be Freed" (7-26-09):

July 26, 2009 - For the last 33 years, Leonard Peltier supporters have called for his release from the confines of the federal penitentiary. That is where Peltier has resided all these years, save for a brief moment of freedom when Peltier engineered an armed escape in which another inmate was shot dead by prison guards. Peltier got away but was captured a few days later after his big white tennis shoes highlighted his hiding place in the bushes of Santa Maria, California. After being convicted of escaping and using a firearm to do so, Peltier received another seven years tacked on to his two consecutive life sentences.

For the record, Peltier objects to serving time for the execution-style murders of FBI Agents Jack Coler and Ron Williams on June 26, 1975. Peltier has always claimed that the truth of his innocence has never had a chance to blossom. While truth, no doubt, plays a reassuring role in the quest for justice, it is not something that has been a friend to the infamous Native American cause célèbre. The truth is particularly harmful to Peltier this year because he comes up for a truth-detecting parole board hearing in two days, on July 28, his first since 1993. Some say this is his last chance to bamboozle the board with his version of the truth.

Nevertheless, Peltier's fans, at one time numbering in the millions, remain hopeful; people like Robert Redford, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and the fact finders at Amnesty International, all of whom have never been impressed by the mountain of evidence against their favorite felon. Even those who say Peltier may be guilty as charged argue that he should be freed for "humanitarian" reasons because he'll soon be 65-years-old.

Though most Peltier supporters are loath to admit it, the truth has never failed to surface about Peltier's role in the executions; first during his trial, and ever since, through old secrets revealed. Moreover, the evidence has always beaten a path to Peltier's cell door, most often by way of his own flawed thinking and verbal admissions. Peltier thought the Agents were there to arrest him (they weren't), that he was justified in shooting two men in the face at point-blank range (he wasn't), and that he can now lie his way to freedom before a parole board (he can't).

But because Peltier says he didn't do it, his followers simply believe him. Not only do they believe him, they issue astounding proclamations in support of his innocence, his make-belief persona as "political prisoner," and his "human rights activist" nonsense. As one blogger recently swore, "Leonard Peltier is not in prison for killing the two Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Agents as is alleged, he has been incarcerated for 33 years because he belonged to a group (American Indian Movement) that dared to challenge the federal government and their lies. When one has the audacity to challenge the fedgov, he/she becomes a target for malicious prosecution, fabricated evidence, witness tampering and illegal imprisonment. Leonard Peltier has experienced all of these in the extreme."

"Extreme" is certainly a word Peltier pushers are familiar with. "Extreme," as in not allowing the facts to get in the way of regurgitating fables and falsehoods. "Extreme," as in ignoring the Federal Register, the Federal Record, and the court testimony, all of which place Peltier at the scene of the crime, at the moment the killing shots were fired. And so in the spirit of [the young, murdered FBI Agents] Coler and Williams, here are ten truthful reasons why an unrepentant Peltier should never see the light of day as a free man:

1. Peltier was fairly tried and fairly convicted. This is the conclusion of every single federal judge who's reviewed the case. Since his conviction in 1977, the evidence against Peltier has been repeatedly confirmed, expanded, and corroborated. [See: here. (Note FN 15: "The two witnesses testified outside the presence of the jury that after their testimony at trial, they had been threatened by Peltier himself that if they did not return to court and testify that their earlier testimony had been induced by F.B.I. threats, their lives would be in danger.")]

2. Facts of the case prove that Peltier opened fire on the Agents from a distance of over 200 yards. Armed with only their side arms, both young men were soon wounded. After the initial shooting ended, Peltier, along with two other men, walked down to the wounded Agents and finished them off, shooting them both in the face at point-blank range.

3. A few months after the murders, Peltier bragged about killing Agent Ron Williams, as recalled by a witness in a separate murder trial in 2004. Under oath, the witness recalled Peltier's exact words: "The motherfu—er was begging for his life but I shot him anyway." (See here.)

4. Peltier has parlayed his Native American ancestry into a successful defense fund, bilking millions of people out of their time and money. He has fooled Amnesty International, Mikhail Gorbachev, Nelson Mandela, the Dali Lama, and people all over the world. Peltier is supported by Hollywood heavyweights such as David Geffen, Barbra Streisand, and Oliver Stone, all of whom have fallen prey to his propaganda machine. Robert Redford produced and narrated a documentary that relies on politics and propaganda to explain away Peltier's guilt, such as the Mr. X alibi concocted by Peltier's friends. The X story, promoted by author Peter Matthiessen in an effort to sell his book about Peltier, was later exposed as a complete hoax.

5. Freeing an unrepentant murderer runs contrary to all principles of parole and rehabilitation. A free Peltier would undermine law enforcement efforts, subvert the rule of law, and compound the anguish of the victims' families. Freeing the killer of two FBI Agents would be particularly devastating to other Federal Agents who risk their lives every day in pursuit of criminals. Parole to a remorseless killer would also be detrimental to American interests by giving ammunition to our enemies. They will point to our system of justice as obviously flawed, thus confirming their argument that Peltier was wrongfully convicted and that our court system is unfair. Worldwide media will parrot these conclusions as if they are fact-based.

6. Freeing a guilty killer like Peltier would undermine efforts to investigate crimes on Indian reservations. Many Indians would view his freedom as a sign that the FBI and the Justice Department had always tried to mislead Indian Country about the facts of the case. Many Indians would be more reluctant to cooperate with current investigations.

7. Peltier claimed his prison break in July 1979 was in response to being targeted for assassination by evil FBI Agents. The truth is that inmate Peltier had planned his escape for several years, and counted on help from outside contacts such as actor Max Gail. Peltier must be held responsible for the needless death he caused during his escape and for threatening a man from whom he stole a truck during his getaway.

8. If Peltier is freed, it will be more difficult to indict him on other murders in which he may have been involved. In one of these cases, Peltier interrogated a young woman, Anna Mae Aquash, by putting a loaded gun in her mouth. Aquash's execution was ordered by leaders of the American Indian Movement (AIM) because they mistakenly believed that she was an FBI informant. (See www.americanindianmafia.com/audio/GunInHerMouthReMix.wmv.)

9. Contrary to his claims, Peltier has always put himself above the welfare of Native Americans. One of his recent newsletters opened with the words, "May Death Be Upon You, FBI." These are not the thoughts of an innocent man, but rather the wish of someone wanting to incite violence. Even if Peltier did not author the message, he has not disavowed it, either. The truth is, Peltier would like nothing better than to agitate for criminal acts against Indians who oppose his freedom and who count on the FBI to apprehend evildoers on the reservation. Peltier has nothing but contempt for our system of justice.

10. Peltier's 1993 Parole Board recognized that he was convicted of aiding and abetting the murders. But then the Board went on to say: "... the greater probability is that you yourself fired the fatal shots...It would be unjust to treat the slaying of these F.B.I. agents, while they lay wounded and helpless, as if your actions had been part of a gun battle. Neither the state of relations between Native American militants and law enforcement at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation prior to June 26, 1975, nor the exchanges of gunfire between individuals at the Jumping Bull Compound and the law enforcement agents who arrived there during the hours after Agents Coler and Williams were murdered, explains or mitigates the crimes you committed...Your release on parole would promote disrespect for the law in contravention of 18 U.S.C..."

There is no question that Leonard Peltier is guilty. He has done nothing to earn his freedom. He has done nothing to show that he accepts responsibility for his crimes. To this day, he remains defiant, manipulative, and completely remorseless. Freeing this ruthless killer would be a terrible travesty of justice. [See the original post. For more information about the crimes of the AIM leadership and Leonard Peltier see American Indian Mafia.]