How Does 'Killers of the Flower Moon's William Hale Compare to His Real-Life Counterpart? It's fitting that the main antagonist of Killers of the Flower Moon is one of the most evil villains in a Scorsese movie because the William Hale from real-life history truly is one of the most evil people to ever live.
Character: Robert De Niro's Killers of the Flower Moon character is William K. Hale, the uncle of Ernest Burkhart and the ringleader of the Osage Murders conspiracy. Hale is the Killers of the Flower Moon's villain, which is rare for De Niro, but he is truly able to bring the villain to life.
Who committed the murders in Killers of the Flower Moon?
A 1926 photo of William Hale (center), who was the mastermind behind the plot to murder Osage people for the oil rights on their land. However, a group of businessmen launched a conspiracy to steal the oil right out from under the Osage people, using illegal means and even murder where necessary.
Martin Scorsese is breaking down exactly why Killers of the Flower Moon ended up being so focused on the villainous Ernest Burkhart, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. The director spoke about the topic following some criticism the film has received from the Indigenous community.
Killers of the Flower Moon paints Ernest Burkhart as a complicated man, with him doing horrible atrocities towards his own family as the broader Osage people. Still, he also seemed to truly love his wife.
Top 10 Things Killers of the Flower Moon Gets Factually Right
Did Ernest know he was poisoning his wife?
So while it's evident Ernest is well aware Mollie is being poisoned in the movie, the book never goes there. "Burkhart never admitted having any knowledge that Mollie was being poisoned," Grann wrote.
After his release from prison, Burkhart moved back to Osage County to live with his brother Byron. Later he moved to Cleveland, Oklahoma, living in a "mice-infested" trailer. Burkhart died at the age of 94 on December 1, 1986, in Cleveland, Oklahoma. His death came on what would have been Mollie Kyle's 100th birthday.
What happened to Ernest and Mollie Burkhart's children?
Ernest and Mollie Burkhart's son, James Burkhart, grew up and started a family after the end of Killers of the Flower Moon. According to an article by The Washington Post, James, who went by the nickname "Cowboy," married and had two daughters, Doris and Margie.
"At 44, Mollie could finally spend her money as she pleased, and was recognized as a full-fledged American citizen," Grann wrote in his book. Margie Burkhart, Mollie's granddaughter, told Grann that living on the Osage Reservation with Cobb was a period of happiness for her, and in 1937, Mollie died at the age of 50.
Mollie Kyle (also known as Mollie Burkhart and Mollie Cobb; December 1, 1886 – June 16, 1937) was an Osage woman known for surviving the Osage Indian murders.
The movie notes that Anna was pregnant when she died. However, the book mentions that when the FBI's lead agent on the investigation, Tom White (played by Jesse Plemons), got involved, he discovered that Hale and Anna were more than just acquaintances.
How was Anna killed in Killers of the Flower Moon?
First, in 1918, a sister, Minnie Smith, died of what doctors called a “peculiar wasting illness” (probably poisoning). Then, in 1921, another sister, Anna Brown, was shot in the back of the head and dumped in a ravine, a brutal contract killing orchestrated by Hale that kicked off the Reign of Terror.
Estimates vary, but approximately twenty-four Osage Indians died violent or suspicious deaths during the early 1920s. The majority of these crimes occurred in or near Fairfax and were rarely investigated by local authorities; some were never solved.
What happened to Bill Hale in Killers of the Flower Moon?
Despite his likely involvement in multiple murders, Hale was only convicted for the murder of Henry Roan. He was never convicted for killing more Osage Natives. He died in a nursing home in Phoenix in 1962 at the age of 87, without any of the wealth he once had.
Mollie and Ernest had three children: Anna, Elizabeth, and James William 'Cowboy' Burkhart. Mollie's daughter Anna, named after her sister, really died of whooping cough at the age of 4 just like in the movie.
Grann reported that government officials working for the Office of Indian Affairs were concerned Mollie was slowly being poisoned from "injections of what was supposed to be insulin."
Type 2 diabetes among American Indians is the result of decreasing traditional foods of wild game, garden produce, and seasonal fruits, vegetables, tubers, and herbs, in favor of overindulging in sugary, starchy, and fatty foods and adopting a sedentary way of life.
Ernest Burkhart's decision to testify against his uncle stemmed from being backed into a corner and realizing that his uncle did not care about the consequences of their actions.
"At 44, Mollie could finally spend her money as she pleased, and was recognized as a full-fledged American citizen," Grann wrote in his book. Margie Burkhart, Mollie's granddaughter, told Grann that living on the Osage Reservation with Cobb was a period of happiness for her, and in 1937, Mollie died at the age of 50.
In 1966, Ernest applied for a pardon. Citing his cooperation with the investigation (White had credited his confession as vital for the convictions of Hale and Ramsey), the Oklahoma Parole Board voted 3–2 in favor of a pardon, which was granted by Governor Henry Bellmon. Ernest Burkhart died in 1986.
Other prominent conditions in the film are diabetes and a “wasting disease,” implied to be in many cases undiagnosed diabetes, that takes the lives of many Osage people before they reach the age of 50. Mollie Burkhart, played by Lily Gladstone, is one of several Osage people who suffer with the disease.
Our history is full of hardship and sorrow but also determination and resilience. Over 2,000 Osage individuals made it to the Osage Nation Reservation in 1872; today, our Nation's population is over 25,000 strong, with 4,467 individuals living in Osage County on the Osage Nation Reservation.
They were both found guilty of federal burglary charges, Burkhart was sentenced to seven years in prison and had his parole revoked. Remarkably, he was let out on parole again in 1959 and Burkhart received a pardon for the Osage murders case from Oklahoma governor Henry Bellmon in 1965. He died in 1986.
It's hard to know what is truly in another's heart, but Grann told the British newspaper the Independent that “all the letters and interviews I did clearly indicate he had genuine feelings for Mollie.” He also wrote in the New Yorker that “Ernest studied her native language until he could talk with her in it.
She divorced Ernest after he was found guilty of murder and then married John William Cobb, Jr. Sister of Reta Smith. Mollie first married Henry Roan, then married Ernest Burkhart. She divorced Ernest after he was found guilty of murder and then married John William Cobb, Jr.
