A Hays man, Tonylee Andrew Sears, has been sentenced to 51 months in prison following a fatal stabbing incident on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced that Sears will also serve three years of supervised release and pay $4,050 in restitution.
Sears, aged 24, entered a guilty plea to one count of voluntary manslaughter in February 2025. The sentencing was overseen by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris.
Court documents revealed that on January 13, 2024, law enforcement responded to reports of a stabbing at Sears' residence. Upon arrival, officers discovered the victim, referred to as Jane Doe, bleeding on the living room floor and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Interviews conducted by officers included statements from both Sears and a witness present during the incident. The witness recounted that he and Jane Doe visited Sears' home for socializing and drinking when an argument broke out between Sears and Jane Doe. According to his account, the altercation escalated with Sears retrieving a knife from the kitchen and stabbing Jane Doe while she was down. The witness intervened by pulling Sears away from Jane Doe before calling emergency services; subsequently, Sears disposed of the knife in the kitchen sink.
Sears provided an account during his interview stating that an argument with Jane Doe ensued after she made comments about his deceased parents which provoked him. This confrontation led them into a physical struggle on the floor where he admitted to stabbing her during their scuffle.
The investigation retrieved a blood-stained knife from the kitchen sink corroborating these accounts along with an autopsy report which confirmed Jane Doe's death resulted from a stab wound penetrating her heart.
The case prosecution was managed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with investigative efforts led by both FBI agents and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services.
