San Carlos Men Enter Guilty Pleas in Murder of Phoenix Man

PHOENIX—Melvin Pascal Nash, 23, and Mason James Henry, 20, both of San Carlos, Ariz., on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, pleaded guilty this week to Second Degree Murder. The terms of Nash’s guilty plea include an agreed upon sentence of 300 months in prison. The terms of Henry’s guilty plea include an agreed upon term of no more than 300 months and no less than 180 months in federal prison.

On August 28, 2008, near San Carlos Lake on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, Nash and Henry, shot and killed a Phoenix man. The victim had been temporarily in the area working as a security guard for a construction project and had no prior association with either of the defendants.

A conviction for Second Degree Murder carries a maximum penalty of up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. In determining an actual sentence, Judge James A. Teilborg will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.

Sentencing hearings are set before Judge Teilborg. Nash’s hearing is set for October 26, 2009, and Henry’s for November 2, 2009.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Gila County Sheriff’s Office, the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the San Carlos Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Thomas C. Simon, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.