Tom Horn: Murder on the Wyoming Frontier

About this episode

The episode discusses the murder of Willie Nickell and the controversial trial of Tom Horn in Wyoming.

In 1901, fourteen-year-old Willie Nickell was shot and killed near his family’s ranch in southeastern Wyoming. Suspicion eventually settled on Tom Horn, former Apache War scout, Pinkerton detective, and one of the most feared men connected to the Wyoming range wars. But more than a century later, historians still debate whether the state truly proved he committed the murder. Source Materials Ball, Larry D. The United States Marshals of New Mexico and Arizona Territories, 1846–1912 . University of New Mexico Press, 1978. Carlson, Chip. Blood on the Moon: The Life and Legend of Tom Horn . High Plains Press, 2001. Davis, John W. The Trial of Tom Horn . University of Wyoming Press, 1960. Horn, Tom. Life of Tom Horn: Government Scout and Interpreter . 1904. Krakel, Dean. The Saga of Tom Horn: The Story of a Cattleman’s War . University of Nebraska Press, 1954. Siringo, Charles A. A Cowboy Detective . 1912. “The Killing of Willie Nickell.” The Lamar Register , August 12, 1903. Additional contemporary newspaper coverage from Wyoming and Colorado newspapers, 1901–1903.

People in this episode

Host: Lizzie

Topics covered

• murder
• Wyoming
• historical crime
• Tom Horn
• trial
• frontier justice

Keywords

• Tom Horn
• Willie Nickell
• Wyoming
• murder trial
• historical true crime
• frontier justice
• Pinkerton

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pinkerton, University of New Mexico Press, High Plains Press, University of Wyoming Press, University of Nebraska Press

Books & works: Life of Tom Horn: Government Scout and Interpreter, Blood on the Moon: The Life and Legend of Tom Horn, The Trial of Tom Horn, The Saga of Tom Horn: The Story of a Cattleman’s War, A Cowboy Detective, The Killing of Willie Nickell

Places: Wyoming

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