By Trend News Line 2024-07-04 10:01:00.
FORT TOTTEN, N.D. — In a chilling turn of events, the case of the killings of Gilbert Fassett and Eddie Peltier on the Spirit Lake Nation in North Dakota has taken a new, disturbing twist. Veteran reporter Patrick Springer has delved deep into both cases and raised a sobering question: Were the men convicted of these murders truly guilty?
The tragic events unfolded on the early morning of Aug. 28, 1983, when a battered body was discovered on Highway 57, near the landmark Ski Jump Hill that overlooks Devils Lake. The victim was so badly disfigured that he couldn’t be identified. However, John Peltier’s visit to the funeral home revealed that it was his son, Jerome “Eddie” Peltier, a former police officer and member of the Spirit Lake Nation.
Initially investigated as a hit-and-run case, Eddie Peltier’s death soon turned into a murder investigation. In 1986, a federal jury in Fargo convicted 11 men in connection with his assault and murder, marking the largest murder trial in North Dakota history in terms of the number of defendants.
However, in 1994, new witnesses came forward with shocking revelations. Shirley Greywater and Fred Peltier, who had testified against the defendants, recanted their trial testimonies, citing threats and coercion by James Yankton, an off-duty police officer at Spirit Lake Nation. Greywater detailed how Yankton had threatened her and her family, forcing her to provide false testimony that led to the convictions.
Fred Peltier also testified that Yankton had manipulated his statement to align with the prosecution’s narrative. Several Peltier relatives confirmed that Fred Peltier had admitted to lying under duress. These revelations cast doubt on the integrity of the 1986 trial and raised serious concerns about the legitimacy of the convictions.
Further complicating the case, dispatch records revealed a suspicious call reporting blood washing near the jail in Fort Totten on the morning of Eddie Peltier’s death. FBI Agent Spencer Hellekson attempted to obtain the recording, but dispatcher Karma Senger refused to sign off on it, leading to her dismissal as a reserve officer.
Victor Peeples, a trusty at the jail, testified that Yankton had instructed him to clean blood from his Chevrolet Blazer on the same morning. Peeples found fresh blood in the vehicle, contradicting Yankton’s claim of transporting a deer. Yankton later drove Peeples to the site where Peltier’s body was found, further raising suspicions about his involvement in the crime.
The emergence of these new witnesses and evidence has shaken the foundation of the convictions in the Peltier case. With testimonies being recanted and allegations of coercion and tampering, the question of the men’s guilt looms large. As the investigation into the killings of Gilbert Fassett and Eddie Peltier continues, the search for truth and justice intensifies, leaving a community grappling with uncertainty and doubt..
1. Long-tailed statement: Doubt cast on the guilt of men convicted in connection with Eddie Peltier’s murder
2. Long-tailed statement: Trial casts doubt on the guilt of men involved in Eddie Peltier’s murder.