Leonard Peltier is 82 years old as of October 2026. He was born on 12 September 1944.
Quick facts
Date of birth12 September 1944
Age82
NationalityNative American
BirthplaceGrand Forks, United States
Editor's Take:
Leonard Peltier's case has divided America for half a century. He was convicted over the deaths of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge reservation. He has always denied firing the fatal shots. His supporters point to flawed evidence and the violent climate of the time. The FBI and the agents' families have long opposed his release. He spent nearly fifty years in prison. President Biden commuted his sentence in January 2025. He returned home to North Dakota.
Key Milestones
1975: The Pine Ridge shoot-out takes place
1977: Convicted and sentenced to life
1999: Publishes Prison Writings
2025: Released to home confinement
Leonard Peltier (born September 12, 1944) is a Native American activist and member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) who was convicted of murdering two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents in a June 26, 1975, shooting on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
