(TAHLEQUAH, Okla.) A 28-year-old man died from COVID-19 in the Cherokee County Jail, according to a recently released medical examiner report. Jared Pringle was found dead in his cell on April 19. The medical examiner’s report said Pringle had severe edema and congestion at his time of death. No
(TULSA, Okla.) A dead child. A dead wife. Homelessness. A crushed leg. House fires. An untimely end. Such was the life of Thomas Hickory, born in 1877. Hickory married Jennie Coney on the Muscogee Creek Nation reservation before the Creek lands were allotted. She was the granddaughter of Tuckabache, a
Photo Courtesy: Muscogee Creek Nation (MUSCOGEE NATION) The Muscogee Creek Nation's Code of Laws has been amended to include authorizations to arrest, prosecute, and sentence non-Indians who commit certain crimes on the Reservation. The amendments were pulled from provisions of the federal Violence Against Women Act, which Congress
(MUSKOGEE COUNTY, Okla.) After more than a decade, a Muscogee (Creek) Freedmen cemetery will soon receive some much-needed attention. Old Agency cemetery, also known as Union Agency Cemetery and simply Agency Cemetery, was founded in 1858. Following the deaths of former property owners William “Sage” Fields and Delores Moore, the
(MUSCOGEE NATION) Community members voiced their opinions about news coverage relating to elections and politics during VNN outreach efforts this past summer. People we talked with said there is a lack of Indigenous-focused politician and election news coverage, which they believe prevents Tribal citizens from voting. In an attempt to
(TULSA, Okla.) Nearly 25 years after being sent to prison for life, a domestic abuse survivor could finally have her chance at freedom. April Wilkens was convicted of murder after she shot and killed her rapist and abuser Terry Carlton in 1998. After losing her direct appeal and multiple missteps
This story is sponsored by Just The Beginning, Inc., a Tulsa-based non-profit that provides transformative help to women who have been impacted by incarceration, behavioral health issues, addiction, and trauma. (TULSA, Okla.) In 2016, Oklahomans voted for criminal justice reform with the passage of the “Oklahoma Smart Justice Reform Act”
(TULSA, Okla.) The Tulsa Police Department is currently investigating the stabbing of Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler. TPD Chief Wendell Franklin said officers were on the scene around 4:30 Tuesday afternoon. We're told the DA's daughter, Jennifer Kunzweiler, has been arrested for the crime.
(OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.) It was one story of survival after another during an interim study on criminalized survivorship at the state capitol Tuesday. The study, proposed by Rep. Toni Hasenback (R-Elgin), examined the issues surrounding victims of abuse and why they are incarcerated when they fight back. For a majority
(MUSCOGEE NATION) VNN Oklahoma has teamed up with the Lucinda Hickory Research Institute (LHRI) to produce a new series called “Stealing Tvlse”. As attention on Tulsa grows through the creation of world class attractions such as “The Gathering Place”, so does concern over a lack of recognition for the crimes
(CHICKASAW NATION) Nearly three years after 17-year-old Faith Lindsey went missing, her boyfriend has admitted to murdering her. Lindsey disappeared in October 2019. A history of domestic abuse led to then 24-year-old Tanner Washington. On Wednesday, Washington plead guilty to second degree murder, stating, “On or about October 27, 2019,
(TULSA, Okla.) The first of two United Indian Nations of Oklahoma (UINO) candidate forums kicked off in Tulsa on Tuesday. “Respecting Tribal Sovereignty” began with an opening prayer from UINO Treasurer Bruce Pratt and a host tribe welcome from Muscogee Creek Nation Chief David Hill. Co-chairman of the Oklahoma Native