A member of the Navajo Nation convicted of killing a man near Steamboat, Arizona, was sentenced on May 21 in federal court. Thurman Yazzie, 26, of Keams Canyon, Arizona, received a sentence of 240 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release from U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes after previously pleading guilty to second degree murder.
According to court records, Yazzie attacked the victim with a knife on March 26, 2023, stabbing him multiple times and causing his death. He then placed the victim’s body on an ATV and transported it into the woods where he set fire to the body. The incident occurred within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Gallup Office led the investigation with assistance from the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations and McKinley County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Church prosecuted the case for the District of Arizona.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona advances community wellness through outreach programs and victim advocacy; it is a component of the U.S. Department of Justice consisting of about 180 assistant attorneys and 160 support staff members; it handles federal prosecutions and coordinates law enforcement efforts; serves Arizona including its border with Mexico and federally recognized tribes; and works with federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, according to the official website.
For more information on this office or related cases, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/.