Week 8 (Documentary Summary)
Summary of Dinosaur 13
The 2014 documentary Dinosaur 13 directed by Todd Douglas Miller explores the discovery of the largest Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil ever found, and the government’s seizure of the fossil. The film opens with a shot of a motorhome driving through the badlands of South Dakota. Then, through an interview, the film introduces paleontologist and president of the Black Hills Institute, Peter Larson, Terry Wentz, the chief fossil preparator of the Black Hills Institute, and Susan Hendrickson, the field paleontologist and volunteer at the Black Hills Institute. All three describe the scene of how they found Sue, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, on August 12, 1990.
The interviews are accompanied by footage of Susan recreating the scene of how she found the dinosaur. Next, the film continues the interviews explaining how they dug up the dinosaur, why they named it Sue, and how they had help from Neal L. Larson, paleontologist and vice president of the Black Hills Institute. The film features footage of all of these people digging up Sue. The dig lasted seventeen days. Peter Larson then shook hands with landowner Maurice Williams for the contract of paying him $5,000 with the intention of displaying the dinosaur in its museum (Black Hills Institute). The film then shows clips of the paleontologists wrapping Sue up and loading it into a truck and lots of pictures of them with the bones of the dinosaur. What made Sue so special was the fact that it was 80% complete which made her the most complete and largest T. rex ever found.
The film briefly describes how the Black Hills Institute in Hill City, South Dakota was founded. Sue arrived at the Institute in September and then the paleontologists started getting to work on preparing the T. rex which was estimated to take 2 years. The film showcases lots of interviews of people who were working on Sue and footage of the process. Everyone is very proud of the find and the progress they have made. The whole city was behind Sue and that dinosaur is what put Hill City on the map.
But then, on May 14, 1992, FBI agents arrived at the museum with a search warrant to take Sue and all records belonging to Sue because they claim it was taken off of federal land. Interviews continue explaining how the agents were taking everything and the paleontologists painfully helped so that the specimen wouldn't be damaged. The film then features footage of the people of Hill City protesting the seizure of Sue in front of the Institute and footage of the government packing up Sue in trucks. Not only Peter Larson and the team at the Institute, but the whole town was in mourning of Sue being taken away. The seizure of Sue was all over the news. The film then displays clips of newscasters and newspapers covering the incident. It is a tragedy for so many.
Then arises conflict with the ownership of Sue. Maurice Williams claims that he owns Sue even though it belonged to the Black Hills Institute due to the check for $5,000. Peter Larson explains the situation in an interview. Interviews continue and describe the complications with the location of the dinosaur, making the ownership issue very complicated. Next, the film reveals that it was U.S. Attorney Kevin Schieffer who ordered 35 agents plus the national guard to seize Sue. Protests from the people and community continue to arise. The film displays clips of the protests in summer of 1992.
Continuing along, the film features an interview of Peter Larson describing how he missed Sue and learning about her life. He said that he would go and visit her at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, where she was located. Following that, Kristin Donnan, freelance writer, co-author of Rex Appeal, and Larson’s wife, explains the court case that occurred for custody of Sue between the Black Hills Institute and Maurice Williams through an interview. Ultimately, the judge rules that it is not the Institute’s property and it is Maurice Williams because fossils are land.
The legal fight does not stop there. The government continues to search the Institute for more property that they view as illegal. “153 charges against Peter Larson, Neal Larson, Bob Farrar, Terry Wentz, Black Hills Institute and 2 business associates” (Miller). The film shows interviews of the team describing how stupid and ridiculous the claims and charges were, and that it did not make sense. Larson compares his charges to a serial killer who killed and ate people and he was sentenced with more time than the serial killer. Then, Donnan explains how the government was claiming that Larson and his team were collecting fossils from places that they knew they couldn’t take from, which is false. They claimed that they were committing fossil theft, transportation of stolen property, wire fraud, and money laundering.
Early 1995, the case goes to trial. The film continues to showcase interviews of Larson and Donnan explaining how simple their side of the case was, versus how complicated and messy the claims and the other side was. The film then shows a news recording covering the felonies Larson and the others were convicted of. Eventually, a lot of the felonies were dropped because most of the jurors wanted to drop the case, but Larson’s 2 felonies remain. Next, the film shows that it is early 1996 and the Larson brothers are reported to federal court for sentencing. Peter Larson is sentenced to 2 years in prison and fined $5,000. Interviews from people who worked at the Institute explain how they were in shock. They believe the situation was ridiculous and the sentences were wrong and biased. Peter Larson explains how he was in rage and that it was not fair. The interviewers say that the claims were twisted and targeted, and it was outrageous that Peter Larson had to deal with all of that.
The film showcases interviews of Donnan and Larson sharing the day Larson had to go to prison. The interviews presented so much sadness. Larson describes his prison experience through an interview. Then, Larson described that he was placed under house arrest for the last 6 months of his sentence. Larson’s team explains how he was a different person once he was out of prison.
The film then reveals that Maurice Williams decides to send Sue to auction. The film presents interviews of the Institute’s team presenting how their main concern was Sue being sold to a private individual or an institution in a foreign country. Some of the team go to the auction in New York in hopes to buy Sue back, while Larson is still under house arrest.
The auction occurred on October 4th, 1997. The film shows clips of the actual auction taking place. Sue sells for 7.6 million dollars to Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History. Larson explains how he is satisfied that Sue went to a museum, but members of the team reveal their sadness on how Sue should have remained in her hometown museum. All of the people who were interviewed agree that the Chicago museum was the second best place Sue could have gone to.
The film ends with Sue’s unveiling at the museum. The team continues to explain how it is a shame that Sue could have been back where she belonged. The interviews are accompanied by clips of Sue at the museum. The last clip is Larson walking away in the middle of nowhere with sad, emotional music in the background.
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