This article contains spoilers for Killers of the Flower Moon.
Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon tells the true story of a series of murders in the Osage Nation of Oklahoma during the 1920s, specifically through the lens of Ernest and Mollie Burkhart, and although the movie ends in one particular way, the story actually continues in real life through the Burkharts’ children. Killers of the Flower Moon is famed director Martin Scorsese’s most recent release. It is based on the 2017 book of the same name, written by David Grann, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemmons, and Robert De Niro.
While Killers of the Flower Moon focuses heavily on the Burkharts’ roles in the Osage murders, the movie acknowledges the family they built over time. During the span of the film, Ernest and Mollie fall in love and have three children together. Though not much is seen of these children, they definitely impact Ernest’s actions throughout the film. For example, when one of their children dies of whooping cough, Ernest is moved to testify in court. Ultimately, though Killers of the Flower Moon eventually ends, the legacy of the Burkharts and their story continues on through what happened to Mollie Burkhart and her children, James ‘Cowboy’ Burkhart and Elizabeth Burkhart.
What Happened To James ‘Cowboy’ Burkhart After Killers Of The Flower Moon
Ernest and Mollie Burkhart’s son James Burkhart grew up and started a family after the end of Killers of the Flower Moon. According to an article by The Washington Post, James, who went by the nickname “Cowboy,” married and had two daughters, Doris and Margie. Although James was a loving father and a kind man, he had a quick temper that could make him erratic and violent. Of her father, Margie said, “He was a complicated man.” James was also a long-time alcoholic. Often, he would drink to such excess that his young daughters would have to drive home from the bar, one working the pedals and the other steering.
Ultimately, James’ vices and shortcomings came as a result of what his family faced when he was a child. At just 9 years old, James’ father Ernest went to prison for conspiring to kill members of the Osage nation in order to steal their oil. This was not just a traumatizing betrayal, but led to James and his family being ostracized by the Osage. The Burkharts were never the same after Ernest’s sentencing, and this led to James’ predilection for alcohol and fighting. According to Margie, James could never quite forgive his father for what he did.
What Happened To Elizabeth Burkhart After Killers Of The Flower Moon
Unlike her brother James, not much is known about the fate of Elizabeth Burkhart. James’ daughter Margie mentions Elizabeth in The Washington Post, referring to her as aunt Liz, but nothing else is explored about the Burkharts’ daughter. It seems that Elizabeth remained in Osage, Oklahoma after the events of Killers of the Flower Moon, and later, moved to a town called Fairfax in 1940. She also married a man named Claude Henry Shafer. It is unclear whether Elizabeth had children, and her date of death in unconfirmed. However, it can be assumed that, like James, Elizabeth was deeply impacted by the events of Killers of the Flower Moon.
