Rachel C. Hernandez Acting United States Attorney for the District of Arizona | U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona
Clifton Nez Hamalowa, a 47-year-old resident of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, received a life sentence plus an additional ten years in prison. The sentencing was delivered by United States District Judge John J. Tuchi on May 27, 2025.
The charges stem from an incident on August 29, 2020, when Hamalowa shot a victim multiple times in front of the victim's young child on Gila River Indian Community land. After the murder, Hamalowa and his siblings attempted to hide their actions by disposing of the victim's car and body on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian reservation. They also intimidated witnesses to prevent them from coming forward.
A federal jury found Hamalowa guilty of several charges after a seven-day trial. These included First-Degree Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
Hamalowa's brother, Thomas Leon Hamalowa, admitted guilt to being an Accessory-After-the-Fact to Murder and was sentenced to 108 months in prison on October 23, 2023. His sister, Devonne Beth Hamalowa, also pleaded guilty to similar charges and received an 84-month sentence on April 1, 2024.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the FBI and Gila River Police Department. The prosecution was managed by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer E. LaGrange and Travis L. Wheeler from the District of Arizona in Phoenix.
