Scams, Money & Murder

Episode: "The Osage Murders Inheritance Scheme Pt. 1"

Date: October 2, 2025
Hosts: Vanessa Richardson & Carter Roy
Summary By: Podcast Summarizer

Episode Overview

This episode launches a two-part deep dive into the Osage Murders—an inheritance scheme that plagued the wealthy Osage Nation of Oklahoma in the early 20th century, resulting in the deaths of dozens of Osage people. The hosts explore how oil wealth transformed the Osage people’s lives, only to make them targets of greed, betrayal, and violence. The hosts further shed light on the broader context of Native American vulnerability to crime, as well as the legal and financial complexities that enabled the crimes to go unchecked for years. This first part focuses on the origins of the Osage's oil wealth, the structure of their land and mineral rights, and the series of suspicious deaths befalling one family.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Historical Context: The Osage and Their Oil Wealth

• Colonial Displacement and Land Acquisition:
  • Originally from a larger territory, the Osage were repeatedly pushed west (05:19-06:50).
  • In 1871, they purchased land from the Cherokee in what is now Oklahoma, obtaining legal title and hoping for stability.
• Discovery and Protection of Oil Rights:
  • Oil discovered in late 19th century; Osage wisely demanded to retain mineral rights in a collective trust when agreeing to land allotment (08:49-09:15).
  • The treaty’s inclusion of mineral rights protection was a landmark, establishing a model still in use today.

The Allotment System and Headrights

• Land Allotment and Financial Structure:
  • All tribal members (over 2,200) received land parcels and a share of mineral rights, known as “headrights.” (11:16)
  • “[Mineral rights] became like a corporation. With everybody in the tribe, including the kids, as equal shareholders. Each share was called a headright.” – Financial Expert (11:16)
• Unprecedented Wealth:
  • By 1920, each headright generated roughly $155,000/year (modern equivalent), making the Osage the richest people per capita on earth at the time (11:48).

Rise of External Threats and Federal Control

• Targeted by Opportunists:
  • Outsiders moved in, sometimes posing as spouses or guardians, seeking access to headrights (14:15).
• Federal Guardianship System:
  • The US government required many Osage to operate under “guardians,” usually white men who managed—and often mismanaged or stole—their wards’ finances.
  • “Osage men and women…had to ask their guardians for permission every time they wanted to buy a pair of pants or a tube of toothpaste.” – Narrator (15:36-16:07)
  • The “conservatorship” system was ripe for abuse and frequently led to financial and physical exploitation (16:07).

Personal Story: Molly Burkhart and the String of Family Tragedies

• Molly Kyle/Burkhart:
  • Educated Osage woman, married first to Henry Roane (an Osage man, later separated), then to white taxi driver Ernest Burkhart (17:00-20:00).
  • Marriage to a white man was a strategic way to avoid the guardianship system; Ernest was chosen in part for this reason.
• Manipulation Behind Marriage:
  • Ernest’s powerful uncle, William King Hale (“King of the Osage Hills”), orchestrated the union to eventually access Osage headrights via inheritance (20:00-22:00).
• Sudden Deaths in the Family:
  • 1918: Sister Minnie dies mysteriously (“wasting illness”).
  • 1921: Sister Anna is murdered (shot); mother Lizzie falls ill and dies soon after; another sibling already deceased.
  • “She'd lost two sisters and one of them was murdered…Molly must have at least been a little bit suspicious.” – Narrator (22:00-24:00)
• Pattern of Inheritance and Suspicion:
  • Each death consolidated the headrights among survivors, amplifying suspicion that the killings were motivated by inheritance.
• Community Climate:
  • Rumors swirled about William’s criminal dealings and the inability of local authorities to challenge his power openly (28:45-29:30).

The Systemic Obstacles to Justice

• The Slayer Rule:
  • Although convicted murderers were barred from inheriting, it was difficult to apply these rules in Osage County due to legal loopholes and lack of federal oversight (29:51).
• Inaction or Complicity of Local Authorities:
  • Investigations into deaths were cursory; suspects were rarely charged, especially when the accused were connected or white (30:47-31:45).

The Stakes

• Further Danger to Survivors:
  • After a string of deaths, only Molly and her sister Rita remained. Both their husbands (white men) now stood to inherit substantial headrights if their wives died.
  • Molly becomes ill—her symptoms echo those of her deceased relatives, spurring fear and suspicion that she might be targeted next (33:45-34:45).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Osage’s Financial foresight:
  • “The tribe hired a top lawyer to negotiate the language of their treaty. He ended up writing mineral rights into U.S. law for the very first time.” – Narrator (10:11)
• Snapshot of Opulence & Jealousy:
  • “Automobiles became increasingly popular, oil prices were going through the roof... [Osage] invested in thoroughbred racehorses, eventually breeding the 1924 Kentucky Derby winner, Black Gold… Salacious tabloid stories stretched that truth to the breaking point.” – Narrator (11:48-13:07)
• On the dangers of the guardianship system:
  • “The guardians could funnel [money] into their own own pockets. If the ward tried to report them, their guardian could just say they were holding onto the money for safekeeping. And most local judges believed them, even when Osage wards suddenly started dying.” – Narrator (16:42)
• On systemic skepticism and fear:
  • “If Bill was the murderer, why was he the one calling for an investigation? And why would he be so worried about becoming a victim himself?... It was impossible for Molly to imagine her weak-willed husband having the guts to kill three people, especially when he was already living in luxury thanks to Molly's head rights.” – Narrator (31:45-33:10)
• Foreshadowing and Rising Tension:
  • “But then Molly started to get sick...her symptoms were eerily identical to the ones both Minnie and Lizzie reported before they died. If Molly didn't want to be next, she knew she had to find a way out of this mess. Even if it meant going after her own husband.” – Narrator (33:45-34:45)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 00:48 | Introduction to the story and the Osage’s sudden wealth | | 03:10 | Carter Roy explains the context of indigenous violence | | 07:35 | Land allotment and financial implications explained | | 11:16 | Creation of headrights system | | 15:36-16:07| Description of the “guardianship” system | | 20:00-22:00| Molly’s strategic marriage to escape financial abuse | | 24:00 | Series of family deaths begins | | 28:45 | William King Hale’s powerful, ominous influence | | 29:51 | Slayer Rule and legal challenges on native land | | 33:45 | Molly falls ill, mirroring her relatives’ symptoms |

Tone and Language

The episode is serious and empathetic, blending researched narrative with moments of somber reflection and cautionary analysis. There is a sense of foreboding throughout, particularly as the scale and complicity in the murders become clear.

Conclusion and Looking Forward

The episode concludes with Molly, the last surviving sister, becoming suspicious and fearful for her life. Part one sets up the magnitude of the Osage tragedy and the exploitation they faced—from opportunistic newcomers, manipulative guardians, and, most tragically, sometimes from those closest to them. The chilling question lingers: Who, if anyone, can Molly trust?

Stay tuned for part two, where the federal government finally gets involved and the murderous scheme’s unraveling begins.