PHOENIX, AZ – A Steamboat, Arizona man is headed to federal prison for a brutal act of violence on tribal land. D’Juan Manuel Pizarro, 27, a member of the Navajo Nation, received a 120-month sentence – ten years – from U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell on May 9, 2017, following a guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter.
The grim details of the case reveal Pizarro intentionally stabbed the victim, also a Navajo Nation member, to death on June 4, 2016. The killing took place within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation, placing the case under federal jurisdiction. Details surrounding the motive remain scarce, but the outcome is clear: a life lost and a decade stolen.
Federal prosecutors didn’t shy away from pursuing a harsh sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Covault, of the District of Arizona, handled the prosecution, securing the maximum allowable time under the terms of the plea agreement. This case underscores the Justice Department’s commitment to addressing violent crime, even in remote and often overlooked areas like Native American reservations.
The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The partnership highlights the necessity of interagency cooperation when dealing with crimes that cross jurisdictional lines. Both agencies spent months piecing together the evidence, ultimately leading to Pizarro’s conviction.
Following his decade-long prison sentence, Pizarro will be subject to three years of supervised release. This period will be crucial in determining whether he poses a continued threat to public safety. The victim’s family, understandably, remains devastated by the loss. While no sentence can bring back a loved one, the hope is that this conviction provides a measure of closure.
Case Number: CR-16-8148-DGC. Release Number: 2017-042_Pizarro. For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/. Follow them on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest updates on federal cases in the state.
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Key Facts
- State: Arizona
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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