Non-Native Taos County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter Conviction Arising Out of the Death of Taos Pueblo Man

ALBUQUERQUE – Jorden Medina, 54, a non-Native man who resides in El Prado, N.M., was sentenced this morning for his federal involuntary manslaughter conviction.  Medina will serve a year in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release.

Medina was arrested on Dec. 2, 2013, on a criminal complaint charging him with killing a 28-year-old Taos Pueblo man on Nov. 30, 2013.  On July 23, 2014, Medina pleaded guilty to a felony information charging him with involuntary manslaughter and admitted shooting the victim at a gas station located in Taos Pueblo. 

In his plea agreement, Medina stated that he was putting fuel into his truck when the victim physically attacked him, knocking him to the ground.  Medina responded to the attack by retrieving a pistol from his truck and firing a single bullet at the victim, killing him.

This case was investigated by the Santa Fe office of the FBI and the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services, with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety, Town of Taos Police Department and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers prosecuted the case.