A Mojave Desert Manhunt

Update: 2025-05-08

Description

Today's episode is about a turn-of-the-century manhunt in the Mojave Desert that’s been told and retold by various folks over the years like a game of white people telephone… We never fully get the truth of what really happened, but I’ll do my best to parse through the tale of Willie Boy whose story has now been portrayed in multiple movies.

Ringa Sunn is joining me today from Pittsburgh, and they're going to tell us all about the post-apocalyptic vibes that make up the great state of Pennsylvania.

Want to support me? Buy my YA novel, THE RECKLESS KIND, wherever books are sold: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/668136/the-reckless-kind-by-carly-heath/

Research used and resources for more learning:

Willie Boy: A Desert Manhunt by Harry Lawton https://www.amazon.com/Willie-Desert-Manhunt-Harry-Lawton/dp/093904627X

The Last Manhunt with Jason Momoa and Lily Gladston: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11399896/

Willie Boy and the Last Western Manhunt by Clifford Trafzer https://www.amazon.com/Willie-Boy-Last-Western-Manhunt/dp/1735861502/

The Wide World Magazine, 1910 https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Wide_World_Magazine/WR46AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22willie+boy%22&pg=PA93&printsec=frontcover

Greg Nieman’s feature on Willie Boy: https://cvindependent.com/2022/12/cv-history-in-1909-a-manhunt-for-a-local-native-american-murderer-captivated-the-nation/

A Legend Undone by Anne Japenga http://www.palmspringslife.com/Palm-Springs-Life/August-2008/A-Legend-Undone/

https://www.29palmstribe.org/about/tribal-history/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/125002634/william-mike

https://mojaveproject.org/dispatches-item/willie-boy-how-a-manhunt-became-myth/

https://mojavedesert.net/people/willie-boy2.html