Thelma Conroy-Rios

Thelma Conroy-Rios
Born Thelma Rae Charging Bear Conroy Rios[1]
17 May 1945[2]
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota[3]
Died February 9, 2011(2011-02-09) (aged 65)[4]
Rapid City, South Dakota[4]
Cause of death Lung cancer[5]
Resting place Pine Lawn Memorial Park[4]
Nationality American Indian
Occupation Activist
Years active 1973–present
Organization American Indian Movement
PIE Patrol[6]
Known for Participant in the murder of AIM Activist Anna Mae Aquash
Spouse(s) Harry Hill (ex-husband)
Children Janie Williamson (daughter)[1]
Anna Shaw (daughter)[1]
Kristal Hill (daughter)[1]
Tommy Conroy (son)[1]
Anthony Rios (son)[1]
Relatives Kay Chapman (sister)[1]
Connie Ament (sister)[1]
Billie Jenkins (sister)[1]

Thelma Conroy-Rios, was a Native American activist. She is perhaps best known for her involvement in the Wounded Knee incident with the murder of fellow American Indian Movement activist Anna Mae Aquash.

Personal life

Between 1974 and 1975, Thelma Conroy-Rios allowed a fellow male activist, Harry Hill, to live with her.[7] Conroy-Rios and Hill were said to be involved in a common law marriage.[8]

Although identified as a cop by ex-wife Thelma Conroy-Rios,[9] Hill's role as a law official is disputed.[10]

Conroy-Rios identified Hill as having provoked the Custer Courthouse Incident Riot that unfolded in 1973 following a one-day jail sentence of murderer Darld Schmitz, a White Air Force veteran in the murder of Wesley Bad Heart Bull.[11][12] According to Conroy-Rios, "He started it all, Dave. He provoked the riot. He was right there. He told me so, proudly, several times. He instigated that courtroom riot too. I was there. I saw him start it, punching a cop. At the time everybody thought it was great. He was a warrior. He was a hero and everybody trusted him, including me."[9] Conroy-Rios' account is corroborated by a separate account found in Peter Matthiessen's book, In the Spirit of Crazy Horse.[13] Although Hill denies ever working in any capacity as a cop or collaborated with law enforcement, there has been speculation that he was an FBI informant.[10]

Conroy-Rios was an enrolled student at Black Hills State University, but had to drop out after her daughter was born with a rare blood disease in 1970.[14]

Legal History

Murder of Anna Mae Aquash

Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash was a female activist within the ranks of the American Indian Movement.

On 12 December 1975, Aquash was forced out of the home of Denver AIM Troy Lynn S. Yellow Wood despite the latter's objection that something bad would happen to Aquash. She was taken to an apartment in Rapid City owned by Russell Means' brother, and during interrogation, she was raped by Graham.[15] Anna Mae was moved to two residences owned by Thelma Conroy-Rios.[16] Looking Cloud indicated that he heard John Graham and Aquash having sex in the bedroom of a Rapid City apartment (whose ownership is attributed to Thelma Conroy-Rios and her mother,[17] which led to prosecutors alleging that Graham raped Aquash.[18] These allegations were further reinforced by the 'strong acid phosphate' found in the vagina, which "constitutes evidence in support of the allegation that defendant John Graham raped the victim at Thelma Rios' apartment on or about December 10–11, 1975."[19] Graham acknowledged in a taped interview/interrogation that Looking Cloud waited outside of the room Anna Mae was imprisoned inside of.[20] Aquash was then forcefully moved to the Rosebud Indian Reservation where AIM supporters refuse to house her.[21] Nelson-Clarke was given orders to have Anna Mae eliminated.[22] Theda Nelson Clarke, another female AIM activist, received instructions to have Aquash "dealt with" from Rapid City, South Dakota American Indian Movement activist Thelma Conroy-Rios.[23]

Aquash's future assassination was supposedly rooted in the mistaken belief that Aquash was a government informant.[24] Looking Cloud, along with Theda Nelson Clarke and John 'John Boy Patton' Graham, force Aquash into the back of a car and drive her to a remote part of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Clarke drove from Denver, Colorado to the scene of the shooting on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in her red Pinto.[23][25] Aquash is shot execution style in the back of the head and left to die.[16] Her body was discovered on 24 February 1976[26] on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation at the bottom of a ravine located in close proximity to an isolated highway.[27] Aquash was revealed to have been executed using a gun, as the autopsy showed that the muzzle of the gun had been pressed into the back of her neck.[28] The coroner's report indicated that in addition to the fatal gunshot wound, exposure contributed to the death of Aquash.[29] Aquash's body was found nearly 2 months later on 24 February 1976[26] on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation at the bottom of a ravine located in close proximity to an isolated highway.[27] Aquash was revealed to have been murdered with a firearm, as the autopsy showed that the muzzle of the gun had been pressed into the back of her neck.[28] The coroner's report indicated that in addition to the fatal gunshot wound, exposure caused the death of Aquash,[29] as her body was frozen by the time it was discovered.[30]

Court

Conroy-Rios was indicted on 9 September 2009 on one count of felony murder for kidnapping and one count of premeditated murder to Anna Mae, with a trial scheduled for November.[31] Rios agreed to a plea deal which allowed her to avoid going to trial on murder charges, which resulted in her pleading guilty to acting as an accessory in the kidnapping of Aquash, and, as a result, was sentenced to serve five years in prison.[32] Rios admitted that Aquash was kept at her home in Rapid City before being taken to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.[32] Judge Delaney of South Dakota suspended the 5-year maximum sentence and instead ordered 90 days in jail, which Rios had served while waiting to be released on bond.[33] In a plea agreement, Rios indicated that she overheard two other people who wanted Aquash to be killed, but these names were redacted from court documents.[8] Prosecutors and defense attorneys requested that Conroy-Rios' plea agreement be sealed, which approved and carried out by the judge.[34]

Death

On Wednesday, 9 February 2011,[35] Rios died at 4:30 P.M. DST Wednesday of complications from lung cancer in Rapid City, South Dakota at the Rapid City Regional Hospital.[34] Spearfish, South Dakota attorney Matt Kinney revealed that Rios had been diagnosed with lung cancer shortly after the negotiation of her plea agreement.[34]

Legacy

Prior to her death, Rios provided names of individuals outside of her accomplices who partook in the orchestration of the murder of Anna Mae Aquash. Although Conroy-Rios died before being able to share the information in its totality, Attorney General of South Dakota Marty Jackley has access to her sworn statement and indicated that case is not over as of yet.[36]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "~Thelma Rae Charging Bear Conroy Rios ~". Lakota Country Times. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  2. ↑ "Thelma Rae Conroy Rios". Tributes. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  3. ↑ "10/12/2011 - Theda R. Clarke". Chadrad. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Thelma Rae Charging Bear Rios". Find A Grave. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  5. ↑ "Thelma Rios Loses Battle with Lung Cancer". Indianz. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  6. ↑ "Annie Mae Timeline I - Wounded Knee". Indian Country News. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "Madonna Gilbert Thunder Hawk". Oneida Eye. 2 October 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  8. 1 2 "And Then There Were Four: Thelma Rios Indicted for the Murder of Anna Mae Aquash". Heishort. 11 September 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  9. 1 2 Seals, David (10 January 2004). "Interviews with Thelma Rio". Graham Defenses. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  10. 1 2 "Thelma Said He was a Cop". Rezinate. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  11. ↑ Devine, Terry (12 February 1972). "Death of Bad Heart Bull Sets Off Riot". The Observer-Reporter. p. A12. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  12. ↑ "Like a Hurricane The Indian Movement from Alcatraz to Wounded Knee ©". Dick Shovel. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  13. ↑ Matthiessen, Peter (1 March 1992). In the Spirit of Crazy Horse. London, United Kingdom: Penguin Books. p. 62. ISBN 978-0140144567. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  14. ↑ "Native Sun News: Thelma Rios denies role in 1973 Aquash murder". Indianz. 10 September 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  15. ↑ "Walking In Soft Moccasins. The Story of Anna Mae Aquash.". Heishort. 25 May 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  16. 1 2 "Why Was Anna Mae Aquash Really Murdered?". Legend of Pine Ridge. 28 July 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  17. ↑ "Extradition challenged: Misidentification evidence placed before judge". Injustice Busters. 2 February 2005. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  18. ↑ Merchant, Nomaan (8 December 2010). "Man testifies at US trial he saw AIM activist shot". Heishort. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  19. ↑ "Feds: Aquash was bound and raped before 1975 execution". Heishort. 30 August 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  20. ↑ Merchant, Nomaan (2 March 2004). "Man Indicted for Anna Mae's Murder Refuses to take Lie-Detector Test". Heishort. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  21. ↑ "Friday, December 12, 1975". JFAMR. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  22. ↑ "Open Letter to John Boy Patton". Dick Shovel. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  23. 1 2 Konigsberg, Eric (28 July 2008). "Why Killed Anna Mae?". New York Times. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  24. ↑ "Looking Cloud has sentence reduced in Aquash murder case". Indian Country News. 9 October 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  25. ↑ "Knowledge, Honesty & Courage vs. AIM & Greg Matson". Oneida Eye. 4 October 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  26. 1 2 "What is the Truth About the Murder of Anna Mae?". The Huffington Post. 27 August 2007. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  27. 1 2 "What is the Truth About the Murder of Anna Mae?". First Nation's Drums. 26 December 2000. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  28. 1 2 "NATIVE_NEWS: ANNA MAE: A Badlands trail of secrets and murder". Mail Archives. 7 August 1999. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  29. 1 2 Sparrow, CJ (22 June 2013). "Who killed Anna Mae Aquash and who cares anyway?". Occupirate. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  30. ↑ Donnelly, Michael (17 January 2006). "Killing Anna Mae Aquash, Smearing John Trudell". Mail Archives. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  31. ↑ Broecher, Evelyn (27 September 2010). "Native Times". Native Times. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  32. 1 2
  33. ↑ "Native Sun News: Rios pleads guilty for role in 1975 Aquash case". Indianz. 10 November 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  34. 1 2 3 Garrigan, Mary (11 February 2011). "Rios, accessory in Aquash murder, dead at 65". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  35. ↑ "Thelma Rae Conroy Rios". Family Tree. 11 February 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  36. ↑ "Editorial: We need to be careful about who we choose as heroes". Indianz. 19 June 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
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