Related Federal Cases
Defendant Sentenced to Prison for Shooting Girlfriend with a .270 Rifle
GREAT FALLS – In a shocking turn of events, Delvin Conrad Chad Red Eagle was sentenced to 158 months of imprisonment for shooting his girlfriend with a .270 rifle in Poplar, Montana, in January 2016.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Red Eagle initially told authorities that his girlfriend had committed suicide, but an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice revealed the truth.
Red Eagle’s story unraveled when an autopsy concluded that it would not have been physically possible for the victim to have sustained a self-inflicted, close-range gunshot wound with the rifle recovered from the scene.
After re-interviewing Red Eagle, authorities discovered that he had actually taken the gun away from the victim and pointed it at her, claiming he did not expect the firearm to fire a round.
The bullet struck the victim in the head and killed her, leaving behind a devastated family who knew the case was not a suicide.
At sentencing, the victim’s family explained to the Court that Red Eagle’s actions had catastrophic consequences, and the Court ultimately sentenced him to 158 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.
Under the federal system, Red Eagle will likely serve all of the time imposed by the Court, but he does have the opportunity to shorten the term of custody by earning credit for good behavior, reducing the overall sentence by no more than 15%.
Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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