The film chronicles the fascinating events of 1990, when American paleontologist Pete Larson and his dedicated team, including Terry Wentz, Susan Hendrickson, and Neal Larson, unearthed the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex specimen ever discovered, affectionately named "Sue." The groundbreaking find took place in the badlands of South Dakota, where prior to this, only twelve T. Rex fossils had been located, each lacking significant completeness—averaging less than 40% intact. Remarkably, the extraction of Sue was completed in just 17 days, showcasing the team’s expertise and perseverance.
Maurice Williams, the landowner, received $5,000 from the Black Hills Institute, an organization founded by Pete, for the right to display Sue in their museum. This was conducted through a handshake agreement, without any formal documentation. Sue’s skeleton was approximately 80% complete, and initial estimates suggested it would take about two years for full preparation.
The Black Hills Institute experienced a surge in fame due to Sue, which accelerated their plans to open a larger museum. However, a twist occurred when the federal government intervened, claiming the fossil had been excavated from federal land. The FBI, along with the National Guard, seized the skeleton, despite lacking expertise in fossil preservation. To navigate this challenging situation, the Black Hills team lent their knowledge to assist in Sue’s transport to Rapid City, where she was kept secure in a shipping container at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.
What followed was a decade-long legal battle involving the FBI, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Maurice Williams. As the media frenzy erupted, Maurice altered his original claims, stating that he had never actually sold Sue to the Black Hills Institute. It became apparent that Maurice, a member of an Indian tribe, had initially placed the parcel of land where Sue was found under trust with the U.S. government in 1969. This meant that he was required to obtain permission from the government before selling any discoveries from that land.
The first trial concluded in 1993, revealing that the fossil essentially constituted part of the land itself and that Maurice lacked the legal right to sell it, thus nullifying the sale and awarding ownership back to him. Following this ruling, the U.S. Parks Service initiated further investigations into the Black Hills Institute for allegedly engaging in illegal fossil trading. In November 1993, charges were filed against the institute and its members for 153 counts of illegal trading in fossils.
As the prosecution hesitated to proceed to trial, a newspaper article leaked the ongoing settlement negotiations, compelling the government to take their case to court. In 1995, the prosecution presented a six-week case asserting that the Black Hills team had illegally procured fossils from public lands and sold them, allegedly contributing to money laundering activities. Ultimately, the jury found the institute guilty on thirteen charges, comprising five misdemeanors and eight felonies. This verdict deemed a moral victory for the Black Hills Institute.
Upon appeal, only two felony charges against Pete Larson were upheld, while the rest were dropped. In a surprisingly harsh sentence, the judge assigned Pete two years in prison for transgressions that typically merited only a six-month term. Pete began serving his sentence in February 1996.
Meanwhile, Maurice decided to auction the fossils through Sotheby's. Sue was once again transported—this time a staggering 1,800 miles to New York City before being stored for the auction. Pete was released after 18 months behind bars. At the Sotheby's auction, Sue fetched an impressive $7.6 million, purchased by the Chicago Museum with backing from McDonald's and Walt Disney. After an additional three years of preparation, Sue was finally unveiled to the public in 2000, attracting millions of visitors throughout the years. Notably, Pete Larson was not invited to the grand unveiling, and in the years following, he successfully unearthed nine more dinosaur specimens, although none would match the completeness of Sue.
