The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday it will hear a murder case that calls into question whether the 1866 territorial boundaries of the Creek Nation in eastern Oklahoma still exist.

In August, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the murder conviction and death sentence of Patrick Dwayne Murphy, determining he was unfairly tried in state court for a crime that occurred on tribal land. Homicides on tribal land must be tried in federal court.

The 10th Circuit's determination that the Creek reservation was never disbanded has threatened to throw into question not only Murphy's conviction but others that occurred in east-central Oklahoma. For that reason, U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco and Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter asked the Supreme Court to take the case.

“We are pleased with today's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to review this critically important case,” Hunter said in a statement. “Our team is looking forward to presenting our side and providing clarity for the state, tribal sovereigns and the 1.8 million Oklahomans who live in the area at issue.”