The effort to gain Leonard Peltier's parole has attracted a very strong and aggressive following. His supporters tie his incarceration to injustices suffered by Native Americans over the past four hundred years. As vocal and passionate as his supporters have been, there are, however, certain fundamental facts that are irrefutable:
On June 26, 1975, FBI Special Agents Jack R. Coler and Ronald A. Williams were engaged in the lawful exercise of their authority and responsibilities and entered the Jumping Bull compound, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota, to arrest a fugitive. While entering the compound they were immediately taken under fire and radioed for help, which arrived too late. Both agents were severely wounded several times. Agent Coler's arm had been nearly severed and he was later found with Agent Williams' shirt wrapped around his arm as a tourniquet. They were only able to return minimal fire but their vehicles contained one hundred and twenty-five (125) bullet holes, not including additional rounds that either missed or went through the windows and were not recovered.
The fatal shots were delivered at point blank range to the faces of the dying agents with a high-powered rifle. Agent Williams' had received a defensive wound through his right hand. Agent Coler, age 28, left a young wife and two children, ages one and a half, and three. Agent Williams, age 27, was single.
On April 18, 1977, after a five-week jury trial, Mr. Peltier was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. Mr. Peltier has exhausted his appeal rights, which were denied, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, three times.
Mr. Peltier's version of the events of that day have changed remarkably over the years, first blaming the killings on someone he knew, then reneging on those statements. In a September 10, 1999 CNN interview he still claimed that the agents were killed in "self-defense."
We the undersigned, STRONGLY OPPOSE parole for Leonard Peltier. Justice demands that he serve the full prison terms, plus the additional seven years for an armed escape from prison, for this heinous crime.
Re: Leonard Peltier I.D.# 89637-132
Please use the back of this sheet for additional signatures.
