In April of 2017, the life of 31-year-old Nicole Owl was tragically cut short in a brutal act of violence that unfolded in a wooded area in Seminole, Oklahoma. A member of the Cherokee Nation, Owl was a woman whose life was marked by the quiet resilience often found in rural Native communities, yet she found herself entangled in a dangerous world. This ultimately led to her fatal encounter with Matthew Onesimo Armstrong, a member of the Indian Brotherhood prison gang.
The events leading
to her death began to unfold over the weekend of April 14th to the 16th. A dispute arose between Owl and Armstrong at his residence, where she had been staying. Armstrong, who was involved in smuggling contraband for the Indian Brotherhood, came to believe that Owl had stolen drugs and money from him. This suspicion set in motion a horrific chain of events. Alongside his accomplice, Nicholas Earl Faulkner, Armstrong took Owl into the woods behind his home.
There, in the seclusion of the trees, Armstrong bound her to a tree with an extension cord and shoelaces. She was left there for hours, vulnerable and alone. Later, Armstrong and Faulkner returned, Armstrong now armed with a rifle. After Faulkner declined to shoot her, Armstrong shot Owl twice, ending her life. In an attempt to conceal their crime, the two men later purchased concrete mix, buried her body in a shallow grave, and covered it with concrete and soil.
The investigation into Nicole Owl's disappearance and murder led authorities to Armstrong and Faulkner. Armstrong was arrested and subsequently pleaded guilty to murder in Indian Country, kidnapping, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced to life in federal prison. Nicholas Earl Faulkner also pleaded guilty to charges of kidnapping and being a felon in possession of a firearm for his role in the crime and received a sentence of over 12 years in prison.
