Annette Davidson/Staff reporter
#1 New York Times bestseller, Killers of Flower moon by David Grann is a true story regarding the induction of the FBI and the Osage murders in Oklahoma during the 1920’s.
This non-fiction work of literary takes place during the civil war, in which the Osage people were relocated. After discovering oil reserves under their land, they become wealthy. 24 victims were murdered for reasons such as wasting illness, shot or poisoned.
Anyone who attempted to help solve the case was murdered, which made it even more difficult to solve considering they didn’t want to take the risk of being assassinated.
“If Hale had told what he knew, a high percentage of the country’s leading citizens would be in prison…”. J. Edgar Hoover.
The Osage murders and creation of the FBI was nothing more than the government not wanting to protect them because they were Indigenous. The government migrated them to rich land, allowed corruption and watched them being killed off until it reached an unacceptable rate.
Looking at the big picture, soon after the murders began due to the U.S. government deemed them “incompetent”, and stated that they need supervision. In the end, it all required the government to enlist a new force to solve the murders which they had initiated.
This non-fiction novel is highly recommended to true crime lovers. Grann sets up the complete timeline behind America’s darkest string of murders and the forming of the FBI.
From start to finish, the storyline is perfectly captured by linking the introduction of the police force to the murders of the Osage people. The assassinations also happen to tie into the large deposits of oil found on their land. It’s ironic how America’s top investigation force was established due to the most problem causing resource.
