A man from Wolf Point, Montana, has been sentenced to four years in federal prison and three years of supervised release for his involvement in two separate assaults on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced the sentence for Philip Ray Azure, 22, who pleaded guilty in May 2025 to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The case was overseen by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris.
The first assault occurred on March 16, 2023. According to court documents, Azure visited a friend's home in Wolf Point where both were consuming alcohol. After becoming intoxicated and being asked to leave due to loud behavior, Azure struck a family member of the host while being escorted out. When confronted by his friend, identified as John Doe, Azure pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest before leaving the scene.
John Doe required emergency medical attention for his injuries and was later transported to Billings for surgery to repair a lung injury. He remained hospitalized for one week following the incident.
The second incident took place on January 27, 2024. Azure and several others were involved in a "slap-boxing" game with another individual referred to as John Doe 2. The situation escalated into violence after Doe 2 returned to retrieve his phone at Azure’s residence. Witnesses reported seeing Azure and co-defendants attack Doe 2 using a bat and hammer during the assault.
John Doe 2 died at the scene from blunt force trauma and stab wounds, as confirmed by an autopsy.
Azure was taken into custody the day after this second assault. Initially denying his presence at the crime scene, he later acknowledged involvement but claimed memory loss due to intoxication. He stated that he used a bat against Doe 2 because he believed Doe 2 had a knife; however, no witnesses corroborated this claim.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with investigative support from the FBI, Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice, and Wolf Point Police Department.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that coordinates law enforcement agencies with communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence across neighborhoods nationwide. More information about PSN can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psn.
