TAMA, IOWA – A quiet stretch of the Meskwaki Nation Settlement has become the scene of a brutal double homicide, and authorities have charged 25-year-old Gordon Lasley, Jr. with murder. The Department of Justice announced today that Lasley, a resident of the Settlement, is accused of killing two individuals at their home near Tama, Iowa, on or around February 5, 2014.
The charge, filed in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids on March 7, 2014, falls under “Indian country” jurisdiction, highlighting the complex legal landscape of crimes committed on tribal lands. Details surrounding the victims’ identities are being withheld pending notification of next of kin, but sources close to the investigation confirm the murders were not random.
If convicted, Lasley faces a stiff penalty: a potential life sentence, a $250,000 fine, and an additional $100 special assessment. The feds aren’t playing around. He appeared in federal court in Cedar Rapids today and was immediately held without bond, signaling the seriousness with which prosecutors are approaching this case.
A preliminary and detention hearing is scheduled for March 13, 2014, at 12:00 p.m., where the court will determine if there’s enough evidence to proceed to trial and whether Lasley poses a flight risk. The investigation, a joint effort between the Meskwaki Nation Tribal Police, the Tama County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the FBI, suggests a thorough examination of the evidence.
This case is part of a broader Department of Justice initiative launched in 2010, prioritizing public safety in tribal communities nationwide. The initiative aims to bolster the resources available to tribes for building and maintaining secure environments – a long-overdue commitment, many would say. More information on the initiative can be found at http://www.justice.gov/tribal.
Assistant United States Attorneys C.J. Williams and Anthony Morfitt are prosecuting the case. Court file information, including case number 14-mj-00065, is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/. It’s crucial to remember that a charge is merely an accusation, and Lasley is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
RELATED: Gordon Lasley, Jr. Charged
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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