ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico – In a shocking turn of events, Jerry Johnson, Jr., a 56-year-old man from Shiprock, New Mexico, has pleaded guilty to a second-degree murder charge in federal court.
According to the indictment, Johnson struck a Navajo woman in the head with his fist on June 26, 2017, and then stabbed her in the back with a kitchen knife. Johnson, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was arrested by the FBI in July 2017 and was later indicted on a murder charge in December 2017.
Under a plea agreement, Johnson is facing a prison term of 129-161 months, followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court. Johnson remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
The case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer M. Rozzoni is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (TSAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, which is sponsored by the Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna.
This project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure, and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native American women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both.
Jerry Johnson, Jr., 56, Defendant
Second-Degree Murder, Charges
Shiprock, New Mexico, Residence
June 26, 2017, Date of Crime
129-161 months, Recommended Sentence
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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