Derick Colin Wilkinson Guilty in Brutal Fort Berthold Assault

Derick Colin Wilkinson, 26, of New Town, North Dakota, was found guilty by a federal jury Friday on charges of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury after a savage beating outside a bar on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The attack, which occurred in the early hours of April 26, 2016, left the victim unconscious, with life-threatening injuries requiring emergency intubation.

According to evidence presented at trial, Wilkinson attacked an Indian male without provocation, punching him repeatedly in the face before the man collapsed. Once the victim was unconscious, Wilkinson stomped on his head at least six times with his boots—brutal kicks that shattered the man’s nasal and orbital bones. Witnesses described the assault as relentless and overkill, with no attempt to stop once the man was down.

After the attack, instead of rendering aid or facing consequences, Wilkinson fled the scene with his girlfriend. The pair hid in the crawlspace beneath a friend’s house in a desperate bid to evade law enforcement. Federal agents with the FBI and officers from the Three Affiliated Tribes Police Department tracked him down within days, ending his short-lived escape.

The victim was rushed to a hospital, where he was placed on a ventilator to breathe. Doctors confirmed severe facial trauma and brain swelling, with recovery expected to take months. Friends and family said the man has struggled with lasting physical and emotional scars since the unprovoked assault.

Wilkinson will be sentenced on March 20, 2017, in Bismarck, North Dakota. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison on the assault charges, with federal sentencing guidelines likely to enhance the term due to the use of dangerous force and the severity of the injuries inflicted.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan O’Konek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dawn Deitz. The investigation was a joint effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Three Affiliated Tribes Police Department, underscoring the ongoing federal commitment to public safety on tribal lands.