Where is Leonard Peltier? All about the AIM member from Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae

The American Indian Movement (AIM) member Leonard Peltier is a central figure in the case surrounding the story of Annie Mae Aquash. Hulu revisits the death of Annie Mae in the new docuseries titled Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae, which premiered on November 26, 2024.

Peltier, who suspected Annie Mae of being a government informant, also became embroiled in a legal battle after being charged with the murder of two FBI agents. In 1975, he was convicted for the deaths of FBI agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams that occurred during a confrontation at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

Peltier is currently serving his sentence at the U.S. Penitentiary in Coleman, Florida.

Hulu's Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae covers the unresolved murder of Annie Mae, a Mi'kmaq woman from Nova Scotia, Canada, who was deeply involved in the Indigenous rights movement of the 1970s.

Directed and produced by Yvonne Russo, the documentary explores the circumstances surrounding her death, which remained a mystery for almost 30 years. Additionally, the series highlights the ongoing investigation led by Annie Mae's daughter and her efforts to uncover the secrets of the past.

The new docuseries gives context to Annie Mae's life and death and the struggles faced by Native and First Nations women in their communities. It also sheds new light on these moments in the history of AIM. Part of Hulu's true crime show explores Leonard Peltier's story, what he did, and where he is now.

---

Who was Leonard Peltier, and what did he do?

Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist and a member of AIM, an organization that advocates for Indigenous rights, is of Lakota, Dakota, and Anishinaabe descent. He grew up within the Turtle Mountain Chippewa and Fort Totten Sioux Nations in North Dakota.

Peltier became involved in Native American civil rights efforts in Seattle before officially joining AIM in 1972. AIM was founded in Minneapolis in 1968 during a period of growing Indigenous activism and aimed to address the struggles of urban and reservation-based Native Americans. In 1975, as an active AIM member, Peltier traveled to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota to help reduce violence stemming from conflicts among local factions.

On June 26, 1975, Leonard Peltier became embroiled in a deadly confrontation at the Jumping Bull compound on Pine Ridge. FBI Special Agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams were pursuing Jimmy Eagle, a man wanted for questioning in an assault and theft case when a shootout broke out. The agents were killed in the exchange, resulting in Peltier and two other AIM members, Robert Robideau and Darrell Butler, being implicated in the incident.

While Robideau and Butler were eventually acquitted, Peltier fled the U.S. and was added to the FBI's 10 most wanted list on December 22, 1975. He was apprehended on February 6, 1976, in Hinton, Alberta, Canada, and extradited to the U.S. later that year.

In 1977, Leonard Peltier was sentenced to two consecutive life terms after being convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Coler and Williams. He has been incarcerated ever since.

---

Where is Leonard Peltier now?

Leonard Peltier's conviction remains controversial due to the ongoing debates about the fairness of his trial and claims of suppressed evidence.

The Native American activist, convicted in the 1975 murders of two FBI agents, remains incarcerated at the U.S. Penitentiary in Coleman, Florida. Now 79, his health is reportedly deteriorating, as per Amnesty International. In late October 2024, he was hospitalized for undisclosed health concerns.

Leonard Peltier has consistently denied responsibility for the deaths. However, he admitted being present during the fatal shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation in his 1999 memoir, Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance. His appeals and clemency requests over the decades have been repeatedly denied, according to CNN.

Leonard Peltier ran for president in 2004 from prison and secured over 27,000 votes. In 2024, he filed a parole request, citing his age, declining health, and nonviolent behavior in prison. However, this appeal was also denied.

Supporters continue to advocate for executive clemency, highlighting humanitarian concerns, but his fate remains uncertain as he nears five decades behind bars.

---

Don't miss Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae, now streaming on Hulu after its November premiere.