Three individuals have been indicted on federal charges in connection with the 2020 murder of Zachariah Juwaun Shorty, whose body was discovered in Nenahnezad, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation. Mr. Shorty had suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was found on July 25, 2020. The case remained unresolved until a recent breakthrough by Special Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, Austin Begay, age 31 and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, is accused of shooting and killing Mr. Shorty with premeditation using a semiautomatic pistol. He faces charges of first-degree murder in Indian Country as well as knowingly using and carrying a firearm during a violent crime resulting in death. Jaymes Fage, 38 and also an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, is alleged to have aided and abetted Begay. Both Begay and Fage are further charged with making materially false statements to federal investigators regarding the events surrounding the murder.
Begay, Fage, and Joshua Watkins, age 40, face additional charges for allegedly concealing knowledge about the crime. All three are charged under federal law for misprision of a felony—knowing about a federal felony but failing to report it promptly. Fage faces an additional charge as an accessory after the fact for allegedly attempting to conceal the crime by lying to investigators.
“The MMIP Regional Outreach Program was created to ensure that cases like Zachariah Shorty’s never fade into the background and to show the impact that focused federal attention can have,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “By strengthening coordination among federal, Tribal, and local partners, the program continues to enhance our ability to address unresolved violent crime in Indian Country.”
"Operation Not Forgotten deployed additional resources to New Mexico’s Indian Country, bolstering the dedicated agents and analysts striving each day to advance these cases toward resolution,” said Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division. "Together with our local and tribal partners, we are committed to confronting crime and safeguarding the community.”
If convicted on all counts, Begay and Fage could face life imprisonment while Watkins could receive up to three years in prison. Both Begay and Fage will remain detained until trial proceedings begin; no trial date has been set at this time.
The investigation was conducted by agents from several agencies including the Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from Navajo Police Department personnel as well as Farmington Police Department officers. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eliot Neal and Aaron O. Jordan.
This case falls under both Operation Not Forgotten—a federal initiative designed specifically for addressing unsolved crimes against Tribal members—and the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program which aims for coordinated action among various stakeholders when tackling missing or murdered Indigenous persons cases.
An indictment represents only an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.
