Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News
1 See 18 U.S.C. § 4206(a).
2 Id. § 4206(a)(1)–(2).
3 Peltier v. Booker, 348 F.3d 888, 896 (10th Cir. 2003) (Peltier VI) (“[T]he officers were on a routine law enforcement mission when they encountered overwhelming firepower from Native American activists.”).
4 United States v. Peltier, 585 F.2d 314, 318 (8th Cir. 1978) (Peltier I).
5 Peltier VI, 348 F.3d at 896 (concluding that “description of the murders . . . as ‘executions’ and ‘cold-blooded’ was warranted” and “quite apt”).
6 Peltier I, 585 F.2d at 319 (“The murderer shot Coler, who was unconscious, across the top of the head. The bullet carried away a part of his forehead at the hairline. The shot was not fatal, however. The murderer then lowered his rifle a few inches and shot Coler through the jaw. The shell exploded inside his head, killing him instantly.”).
7 Id. at 318–19 (“The murderer placed the barrel of his gun against Williams’ hand and fired. The bullet ripped through Williams’ hand, into his face, and carried away the back of his head. He was killed instantly.”).
8 United States v. Peltier, 800 F.2d 772, 779 (8th Cir. 1986) (Peltier III) (“Norman Brown testified that he saw Peltier firing a weapon from the treeline similar to the one introduced into evidence. . . . Michael Anderson testified that he saw Peltier at the agents’ cars and that Peltier was carrying a weapon similar to the one introduced in evidence. Moreover, no witness testified that anyone other than Peltier was seen firing an AR–15 at the agents’ cars, or that anyone other than Peltier was seen by the agents’ cars with an AR–15.”).
9 Peltier I, 585 F.2d at 319–20.
10 Id. at 320 (“Peltier was stopped by police months later in the State of Oregon. He fled the scene, turning to fire on one of the police officers.”).
11 Peltier and his associates had “fourteen firearms, eight of which had obliterated serial numbers,” “tool boxes containing wiring, pocket watches with wires leading out of them, tools, pliers, and empty shell casings,” and “nine hand grenades.” Id. at 322.
12 Id. at 320.
13 Id. at 334.
14 Id. at 327 (“[A]t the time of his arrest, Peltier had in his possession the .30/30 rifle stolen in Oregon, other property stolen from the Oregon ranch house, two pistols, and an M-1 semiautomatic rifle.”).
15 Peltier VI, 348 F.3d at 889–90.
16 United States v. Peltier, 693 F.2d 96, 98 (9th Cir. 1982) (Peltier II) (“No imaginable set of circumstances could be drawn . . . to justify the armed jail break that took place.”).
17 Peltier I, 585 F.2d at 335 (affirming Peltier’s first-degree murder convictions); Peltier II, 693 F.2d at 98 (affirming Peltier’s escape and unlawful firearm possession convictions); Peltier III, 800 F.2d at 775 (denying Peltier’s first collateral attack); Peltier v. Henman, 997 F.2d 461, 468–69 (8th Cir. 1993) (Peltier IV) (denying Peltier’s second collateral attack); United States v. Peltier, 312 F.3d 938, 943 (8th Cir. 2002) (Peltier V) (affirming denial of Peltier’s motion to reduce his consecutive life sentences); Peltier VI, 348 F.3d at 892 (rejecting Peltier’s collateral attack challenging the denial of his parole application); United States v. Peltier, 446 F.3d 911, 914 (8th Cir. 2006) (Peltier VII) (affirming denial of Peltier’s motion to correct sentence).
18 Peltier III, 800 F.2d at 779 (“Norman Brown testified that he saw Peltier firing a weapon from the treeline similar to the one introduced into evidence. . . . Michael Anderson testified that he saw Peltier at the agents’ cars and that Peltier was carrying a weapon similar to the one introduced in evidence. Moreover, no witness testified that anyone other than Peltier was seen firing an AR-15 at the agents’ cars, or that anyone other than Peltier was seen by the agents’ cars with an AR-15.”).
19 Peltier VI, 348 F.3d at 894 (citing Peltier I, 585 F.2d at 319–20; Peltier III, 800 F.2d at 779).
20 Peltier IV,997 F.2d at 464.
21 United States v. Peltier, 609 F. Supp. 1143, 1148–54 (D. N.D. 1985).
22 Id. at 1150–54.
23 Peltier III, 800 F.2d at 777 (emphasis added).
24 Peltier VI, 348 F.3d at 894 (emphasis added); see also Peltier IV, 997 F.2d at 464 (“The court found that the teletype did not refer to the .223 casing found in the agent’s car, but to other casings found at the scene.”).
25 Peltier VI, 348 F.3d at 892 (emphasis added).
26 Peltier IV, 997 F.2d at 469 (emphasis added).
27 Peltier III, 800 F.2d at 775 (emphasis added). Further reinforcing that there was no concession, the court observed that it could have more easily resolved the appeal if the government had exclusively presented the case on an aiding-and-abetting theory. Id.
28 Peltier IV, 997 F.2d at 465–71.
29 Id. at 469 (emphasis added).
30 Peltier V, 312 F.3d at 940 (observing that the government’s theory included “that Mr. Peltier personally killed the agents at point blank range”). Peltier’s citation to a letter from the former United States Attorney and isolated remarks by a prosecutor in a pro-Peltier film are also misplaced, as the United States Attorney was gone from office at the time of the alleged change in position, and the film predated and lacked the context of the Eighth Circuit’s 1993 deep dive into the alleged admission. See Peltier IV, 997 F.2d at 465–71 (examining and rejecting Peltier’s argument that the government had conceded it could not prove Peltier was the shooter).
31 Peltier VI, 348 F.3d at 891 (emphasis added).
32 Id. at 893–95 (quoting the Parole Commission) (emphasis added).
33 Ltr. from Dan Williams (Special Agent Williams’ cousin) to Director Christopher A. Wray (Feb. 25, 2022) (Attachment A)
34 Ltr. from Paul Coler (Special Agent Jack Coler’s son) to FBI Director Christopher A. Wray (Feb. 25, 2022) (Attachment B)
35 Ltr. from Michael Titone (Special Agent Williams’ 98-year-old uncle) to Director Christopher A. Wray (Feb. 24, 2022) (Attachment C).
36 Ltr. from Ronald Coler (Special Agent Coler’s son) to Director Christopher A. Wray (Mar. 3, 2022) (Attachment D)
37 Williams Ltr.
38 Paul Coler Letter.
39 Ltr. from Peggy Coler (Special Agent Coler’s widow) to FBI Director Christopher A. Wray (Attachment E) (describing her experience as a “never-ending nightmare”).
40 “It is all very strange to me. Strange, that after executing two defenseless men, that it could ever be considered that Peltier would get our of prison.” Peggy Coler Letter.
41 Ltr. from Linda Miller and Susan Gregg (Special Agent Coler’s sisters) to FBI Director Christopher A. Wray (Mar. 1, 2022) (Attachment F).
42 Ltr. from FBI Director Louis J. Freeh, to Attorney General Janet Reno (Dec. 5, 2000) (“The entire episode by Peltier remains an affront to the very principles to which you and I have dedicated our lives and to which every employee in the FBI stands firm.”); Ltr. from FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III, to Isaac Fulwood, Jr., Chairman, United States Parole Commission (July 20, 2009) (“The passage of time does not diminish the brutality of these crimes or the incalculable damage done by Mr. Peltier to the surviving families, friends, and colleagues of Agents Coler and Williams.”); Ltr. from Ernest Babcock, FBI Deputy General Counsel to Cynthia K. Dunne, Attorney for Peltier (June 22, 2016) (declining Dunne’s request to meet with Director Comey and explaining “[Peltier’s] crimes resulted in pain and loss that will forever be felt by the families of the victims and by the FBI family.”) (Attachment G).
43 Ltr. from Michael J. Clark, President, Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI to Acting Chairman Patricia K. Cushwa, Parole Commission (May 13, 2024) (“Peltier deserves no compassion in return for the executions he intentionally chose to commit.”); Ltr. from Natalie Bara, President, FBI Agents Association to Patricia K. Cushwa, Acting Chairperson, Parole Commission (June 5, 2024) (“Special Agents Coler and Williams made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and that sacrifice should be honored. The loss of Agents Coler and Williams is felt as sharply today by the FBI family as it was in 1975, which is why the FBIAA and Special Agents have argued against early release for Peltier at every opportunity since his conviction.”) (Attachment H).
44 18 U.S.C. § 4206(a).