A man from Shiprock, New Mexico, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with a fatal stabbing that took place on the Navajo Nation.
Court records state that on July 25, 2024, officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to reports of a fight near an abandoned business in Shiprock. When they arrived, they found John Doe lying on the ground with injuries to his face and chest. Witnesses said Edison Brady, 56, who is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, punched and kicked Doe before leaving to get a knife from his bag. Brady then returned and stabbed Doe several times. Medical staff at Northern Navajo Medical Center pronounced Doe dead despite efforts to save him. Officers recovered a knife with what appeared to be blood stains from Brady.
Brady entered a guilty plea to second-degree murder without reaching any plea agreement. He could face up to life in prison when sentenced.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced the plea.
The case was investigated by the Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office with help from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Jena Ritchey and Zachary C. Jones are prosecuting the case.
