Ernest Burkhart
Ernest Burkhart | |
|---|---|
Burkhart in the late 1920s | |
| Born | September 11, 1892 Greenville, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | December 1, 1986 (aged 94) Cleveland, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Other names | Ernest George Burkhart, Ernest Burkhardt |
| Known for | One of the perpetrators of the Osage Indian murders |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | William King Hale (uncle) |
| Convictions | Oklahoma First degree murder Federal Burglary (18 U.S.C. § 2114) |
| Criminal penalty | Oklahoma Life imprisonment with hard labor (1926) Federal 7 years imprisonment (1940) |
Ernest George Burkhart (September 11, 1892 – December 1, 1986) was an American murderer who participated in the Osage Indian murders as a hitman for his uncle William King Hale's crime ring. He was convicted for the killing of William E. Smith in 1926, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Burkhart was paroled in 1937, but was sent back to prison for burglarizing his former sister-in-law's house in 1940. After being paroled for the final time in 1959, Burkhart was pardoned by Oklahoma governor Henry Bellmon in 1966 for his role in the Osage murders.