Wyoming Man Admits to Crow Reservation Double Murder

BILLINGS, MT – Jesus Deniz Mendoza, 19, of Worland, Wyoming, has confessed to the horrific murders of two individuals on the Crow Reservation in Pryor, Montana. Mendoza pleaded guilty today in Billings federal court to multiple charges, including two counts of second-degree murder, assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and three counts of using a firearm during crimes of violence. The details revealed a cold-blooded robbery that spiraled into unimaginable violence.

According to court documents, the brutal attack unfolded on July 29, 2015, at approximately 10:11 a.m. on Pryor Gap Road. Crow Agency dispatch received a frantic call reporting a shooting near the St. Charles Mission School and Plenty Coups Park. First responders arrived to a scene of carnage: a deceased male and female lying face down in the road. A green 1990 Ford Taurus, registered to Mendoza’s mother, was discovered nearby.

The surviving daughter of the victims provided a chilling account of the events. She told investigators her mother had informed her a man needed help, and the three drove to meet him on Pryor Gap Road. Mendoza was waiting in the green Taurus. Upon approaching, Mendoza immediately brandished a firearm and demanded they exit their vehicle. After being told they had no money, Mendoza ordered them to walk away, then opened fire. The daughter described watching her father fall, fleeing in terror as her mother screamed, and ultimately being struck by gunfire herself.

Despite being wounded, the daughter managed to flag down help from individuals at the St. Charles Mission School. After briefly receiving aid, she bravely took control of a vehicle and drove away, fearing Mendoza’s return. Meanwhile, Mendoza returned to the scene, firing upon two witnesses from the school who had come to investigate the initial gunfire. These witnesses were forced to take cover, one pushed into a ditch and told to feign death as Mendoza continued to fire.

Prosecutors intend to prove at trial that Mendoza’s actions were deliberate and malicious. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the government will recommend life sentences for each of the two second-degree murder counts, and 20 years for assault with intent to commit murder, 10 years for assault with a dangerous weapon, all to run consecutively. The firearm charges alone carry a mandatory minimum of 60 years, also to be served consecutively to the other sentences. That means Mendoza is facing a potential lifetime behind bars.

United States District Court Judge Susan P. Watters has scheduled sentencing for August 10, 2017, in Billings. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the final sentencing. This case serves as a stark reminder of the violence that can plague even the most remote corners of America, and the devastating impact it has on families and communities.

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