was jeremiah johnson based on a true story
The Crows take reprisal on his family. Johnson finding his family dead retaliated; so goes the movie. The Real Jeremiah Johnson: As I stated above, the story of Jeremiah Johnson is based in part on the life of Liver-Eatenâ Johnson (1824-1900). his biography being documented in Raymond Thorp and Robert Bunkerâs book Crow Killer: The Saga of Liver-Eating Johnson.