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Podcast: The Bay
Episode: The Untold Story of Richard Oakes' Killing, Part 1
Description: Richard Oakes was the face of the burgeoning ‘Red Power’ movement when he led the famous Native occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1969. But like other civil rights leaders at the time, he died too soon. In 1972, Oakes was gunned down in in rural Sonoma County. His killer, Michael Oliver Morgan, stood trial for manslaughter and was found not guilty.The official story of Richard Oakes' death, and the circumstances surrounding Morgan's trial, are part of the reason why Oakes' legacy has been largely erased from mainstream history. Oakes' family and friends, meanwhile, never got closure. All th...