First Nebraska Territory Murder Was by a Doctor

 In the Nebraska Life Magazine for March April 2026 there is a note about a murder in Bellevue.  Dr Charles Henry was a physician and a land speculator in Bellevue in 1855.  He argued with George Hollister about property lines.  Henry shot him dead.  It seemed a clear case and he was arrested and confined in the blacksmith shop.  He was protected by guards form a lynch mob.  Cholera broke out about this time.  Many needed treated and Dr. Henry was lead form home to home to provide treatment.  He was under guard and providing treatment.  When his case came before the grand jury there were enough on the jury he had treated, and others as character witnesses the he was never convicted.  This was the first arrest for murder in the new Nebraska Territory.

There were two grand juries convened, and both failed to indict.  Another possible reason for this is there were groups of land speculators who were protecting their own.  However the story of the patients refusing to indict is a good one.  Henry relocated to Omaha where he became a prominent citizen and supporter of the Union in the Civil War.

Eberle-Walden Crime Victims Memorial

  Inside the Sarpy County administrative building is a memorial to two youth who were kidnapped and murdered in 1983.  You enter the administrative building from the east side.  The memorial is established to honor all victims of crime.  There is a video that goes with the memorial.  

Book Review: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

 Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann, Doubleday, New York, 2017.

Since this came out in movies I have been intrigued by the story.  However I did not want to venture to an R rated movie.  Reading the book has been a happy alternative.  

This book touches on the surface the evil that existed in Osage County, Oklahoma.  What is worse the corruption permeated the community.  William Hale, who turned out to have orchestrated much of the violence was a well repected community member.  He offered a reward for finding the killers.  Such two- faced people are really disturbing.  

The Osage were very wealthy.  At one time the wealthiest area in the United states.  When the government allotted their land, the tribe kept the head rights.  This meant they kept the rights to what was under the ground.  When oil was discovered they all became very wealthy.  The white community that lived next to them did not think the deserved so much money.  And through different means they hoped to take thos head rights, and the money for themselves, but whatever means.  There were poisonings, bullets to the head, people thrown from trains and even a house being blown up to kill those inside.  There was marrying an Osage for the chance to kill them and inherit their wealth.  

Part of the problems was the federal government did not think the Osage could handle their wealth.  Guartdians were appointed for many.  The guardians were prominent white community members.  This much money tended to corrupt these men.  They would manipulate the money and often scheme of getting it for themselves.  Hundreds of Osage were killed.  The records showed many of those with guardians ended up dead.

When you able people as "less than," even if they have lots of money, you can justify yourself in doing any kind of evil.  You can kill people, afger all she is just a "squaw."  Mollie Burkhart was a Native American woman whose siblings and mother were all killed.  Her own husband, Ernest Burkhart turned out to be enmeshed with William Hale, and one he participated in the killings.  And one point she and her children could have been killed as they were suppose to visit her sister who was blown up in a house explosion.  They did not go as her son was feeling sick.

At the end of the book the author points out the problem as much bigger than the official investigation.  Mysterious deaths abound, likely by poison, which were never investigated.

This book is worth the read.  I highly recommend it.

Parley P Pratt Gravesite: Arkansas

 Parley P Pratt, apostle for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was murdered in Arkansas.  One of his plural wives, Eleanor McComb McLean, was the ex-wife of Hector McLean, his murderer.  He was alcoholic and abused his wife.  The McLeans had been introduced to the  church in San Francisco.  She accepted.  He did not and opposed, but did give permission for her to be baptized.  At one point he kicked her out of the house and locked her out for singing a Mormon hymn.  He took the children, without her knowledge, and sent them to New Orleans to stay with her parents, who were also against the church.  She followed but was unable to get the children.  She then went to Utah where she married Pratt.  

Important to point out that their marriage had dissolved before they met Parley P. Pratt.  Pratt had attempted to intervene in their marriage difficulties in San Francisco, but was not successful.  Pratt and Eleanor did did not marry until her husband was out of her life and she considered the marriage over.  However McLean blamed him for the dissolution of the marriage.  Pratt served a mission in the East, and McLean attempted to catch up to him to kill him.  At the same time Eleanor went to get her children and was successful doing so.  She and Pratt were to meet in Texas on their way to Utah.  McLean put out a warrant against Pratt and Eleanor on charges of stealing (the kids' clothing) and they were arrested.  They were taken to Van Buren Arkansas for trial.  The judge quickly saw through the ruse and dismissed the charges.  He offered to give Pratt a knife and a pistol, which he declined, saying he relied on the protection of the Lord.  McLean caught up with Pratt 12 miles from Van Buren.  Six shots were fired but all missed.  However Pratt was stabbed twice in the chest and left for dead.  McLean came back and fired a shot point blank into Pratt's neck.

As he lay dying Pratt asked that his valuables and his body be sent to his family in Utah.  He died bearing testimony of the restored gospel and the Prophet Joseph Smith.  He said he died as a martyr.  

The conditions were not such that his body could be sent to Utah.  He was buried near were he died in a family burial plot.  Local members kept the plot nice.  Only recently 2008, was his body exhumed and taken to Utah.  Most of the body by this point had decayed away.

These pictures are from the burial/memorial site.  It is in Arkansas off of interstate 40.

Parley P Pratt was a great contributor to the church.  He served as an apostle for 22 years having been called in 1835.  He served many missions, including to England where thousands were baptized.  He wrote many missionary tracts.  Most famously "Voice of Warning" which was highly used.  He wrote poetry, may which became hymns.  He wrote over 49 hymns, seven of which are in the current hymn book.  

The Witness: A documentary about Kitty Genovese (2015)

The Witness is a fascinating story.  It tells a story that has haunted America for half a century.  Kitty is the woman who was murdered in New York in 1964, reportedly as 64 people heard her screams and watched the murder but did nothing.  She has been the study of sociology books, what motivates us to act?  The brother of Kitty, who was 16 at the time of her murder, tells the family story and takes another look at the report behind this case.
The brother found out that the report of 38 witnesses was rather arbitrary.  Police however did interview 38 people.  Some heard a scream, some heard a scream and got up (it was 3 in the morning), looked out the window, didn't see or hear anything more, and went back to bed.  One man yelled down to  the perpetrator, get out of here, and he fled.  Initially Kitty was stabbed twice.  She had dropped to her knees, and struggled to her feet.  She then went around the corner and into a stairwell of her apartment.  The people then could not see her.  The perpetrator returned, and attacked her again.  He raped her and stabbed her more times.  She screamed, and on of her neighbors came to her aid after the deed had been done, when she realized what was happening.  Kitty, although mortally wounded, did not die alone, but in the arms of a friend.  In many regards the story is different than reported.  In fact, some of the witnesses said they called police.  However, the police did not respond.  They thought it was the  result of bar room shenanigans as there was a bar close by.  Even her  roommate (lover) was not awoken by the screams, and didn't know anything until the police woke her up.  She was called upon to identify the body.  This movie shows this story from many more angles that what had been represented, and the subject of many books and articles.  It is a story about mass media failure.  Many witnesses felt they were misquoted, and so stopped talking to the media.  There was not a 9-11 system at the time, and the few who called were not taken seriously.  there was only one recorded call from the night.  
One of the things this movie presents is the effect the murder had on people; the effect on the two families.  The genovese family was really torn, and coped by not talking about Kitty.  Bill, who is the narrator and teller of the story, joined the Marines, served in Viet Nam and there lost his legs.  Other siblings had their own struggles to put the events behind them.  Bill even interviewed the murderer's son, and then the effect on his family, wife and two children, was manifested.
Very good film which combats many misconceptions I had of these events.  They have an actress act out the screams, which was very eerie and brought the night home.

Movie Review: ESPN: 30 for 30: The Two Escobars

 This documentary made by ESPN 30 for 30 and directed by Jeff and Michael Zimbalist.  It tells one of the most tragic stories in sports history.  The own goal of Andres Escobar, and his murder less than a month later.  It also tells the story of Pablo Escobor, not a relation to Andres, but the head of the Medelin Drug Cartel.
Pablo had started as a small time thief, stealing cars form the rich, but became rich in running producing and running drugs, especially cocaine.  Pablo Escobar, despite being a drug runner and murderer; also thought of himself as a Peter Pan.  He was a billionaire, and used his to help the poor.  He made lighted soccer fields in many communities.  In a slum he made everyone homes.  The community was called Pablo Escobar.
The rise of the Colombian team was phenomenal.  They went from being  a team that never had any success, to being ranked fourth in the world.  The cause of this, to a great extent, was drug money.  Many cartels found soccer clubs to be a great way to launder money.  As the drug cartels put money into soccer, there was great rivalry between clubs, and also more money to pay players, and to form a nucleus of soccer players with great talent, who stayed at home to play.  One of these was Andres Escobar, who played defender for Atletico Nacional, the team owned by Pablo Escobar.  They won the Copa Libertador (South American Championship) in 1989.  After a controversial call in the Colombian finals, Pablo had ordered the death of a referree who was murdered. 
One of Pablo Escobar's main positions is that criminals should not be deported to other countries, especially the United States.  He ran for congress and won, getting the vote of the poor.  He had the goal of changing the deportation law, so he could not be deported.  However, as a member of congress he had diplomatic immunity.   However the congress kicked him out because of his past. 
Pablo Escobar began a war with the government.  He murdered politicians who favored the deportation.  He planted bombs to influence people against the government, proving they could not keep people safe.  He was responsible for the murder of assorted judges, politicians, over 500 policemen, at least one referee and thousands of rival cartel members who displeased him.  His men would ask politicians, do you want silver or lead, meaning take our bribes or we kill you.  Most would take the bribes.  In this way, Pablo had great influence.  He finally influenced enough so the constitution was changed, and no longer would criminals be deported.  He then gave himself up, and was imprisoned at Catedral Prison, a prison of his choice, and where he could continue running his organization.  Two rival drug runners were murdered in the prison after he arrived.
At the same time Colombia had become on of the most successful teams in the world, qualifying for the World Cup by defeating Argentina 5-0 in Buenos Aires.  Their 26 matches leading up to the World Cup, they had lost only two.  Pele had them as favorites.  They were ranked fourth in the world. 
Pablo Escobar insisted on visits by the team while he was in prison, and they were too scared not to go, including Andres.  However, their keeper, Rene Higuita, was too public in his visits, and got himself arrested.  The government said for his involvement in a kidnapping, but he said they only asked him about Pablo Escobar.
The government became embarrassed by the situation, and arranged for the U.S. to invade the prison and take Pablo Escobar to the U.S.  However he was forewarned, and the prison was empty when the got there, Pablo was free again.  However, while he was in prison, things had changed.  An organization, PEPEs (People persecuted by Pablo Escobar) with made of of rival cartels, and people from his own cartel who had been threatened to change, and government officials.  This organization threatened Pablo to turn himself in or his family would be killed.  Several members of his family were executed, and then Pablo himself.
The government had felt with Pablo killed, violence would decrease.  However, the opposite happened.  There was more violence.  Pablo had kept a lid off of some violence, disallowing kidnappings etc.
In this environment Colombia traveled to the U.S. in 1994 for the World Cup.  They keeper was in jail and he was replaced.  They lived constantly under threat of murder, or their families could be kidnapped.  They unexpectedly lost their first match to Romania 3-1.  Romania relied mostly on defense, and counter attacks. 
Their second match was against the U.S.  Colombia still played under threat of murder.  In fact the entire team was threatened by one of the drug cartels if a certain player played in midfield.  The rival cartel wanted their own players to be seen.  The coach relented and sat the player.
Colombia  outplayed the Americans, but the ball never reached the net.  At one time the U.S. almost ceded an own goal, hitting their own goal post, but then making the save.  Later in the game John Harkes, U.S. midfielder controlled the ball up the left side, and then crossed to an American player in front of the net.  Andres Escobar intervened to kick the ball away, but he careened it into his own goal.  The U.S. won 1-0.  If Andres had not intercepted the ball, the American player would have had the ball in front of the net with only the keeper to beat, likely a goal anyway. 
The Colombia side won their next match with Switzerland, but were eliminated from the tournament.  Upon returning to Colombia, the entire squad was wary for their safety.  However, Andres decided he wanted to see his fans face to face.  He was bothered at a bar by someone saying, "nice goal."  Andres tried to smooth things over, but they had none of it so they decided to leave.  While in the car, he was approached from behind and six shots were fired.  He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The truck the murderers left in belonged to drug runners, but only their body guard was arrested.  Andres had been invited to write in the paper after the own goal.  This was published a couple days before his death 

"Life doesn't end here. We have to go on. Life cannot end here. No matter how difficult, we must stand back up. We only have two options: either allow anger to paralyse us and the violence continues, or we overcome and try our best to help others. It's our choice. Let us please maintain respect. My warmest regards to everyone. [A Great hug for all]  It's been a most amazing and rare experience. [It's been a great opportunity and phenomenally rare experience.]  We'll see each other again soon because life does not end here"

This movie is available on You Tube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EilV9vgaEY