A man from Peñasco, New Mexico, has been sentenced to over 21 years in federal prison for the fatal stabbing of another man in December 2022. Byron Sanchez, 49, an enrolled member of the Picuris Pueblo, was involved in an altercation with John Doe at his residence on tribal land. Both individuals were under the influence of alcohol when Sanchez stabbed John Doe and placed his body in a bedroom. The body was discovered by law enforcement officials on January 11, 2023.
Sanchez pleaded guilty to second degree murder. After serving his prison sentence, he will be subject to five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced the sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and District 7 of the New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorney R. Eliot Neal is prosecuting.
The prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program. The program seeks to prevent and respond to cases involving missing or murdered Indigenous people through coordinated efforts among federal, Tribal, state, and local partners. According to the Department: "This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of Indigenous victims and their families."
