Man Indicted for First Degree Murder in New Year's Eve Slaying on the Tohono O'odham Nation
| U.S. Attorney's Office May 17, 2011 |
TUCSON, AZ—A federal grand jury in Tucson has indicted Jalen Montana, 34, of Sells, Arizona on one count of first-degree murder. The grand jury returned the indictment on May 11 in Tucson.
The indictment alleges that on or about January 1, 2010, while within the confines of the Tohono O'odham Indian Nation in the village of Topowa in the District of Arizona, Jalen Montana killed another man, with premeditation and malice aforethought, by stabbing him in the chest.
A conviction for first-degree murder carries a sentence of up to life imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine. In determining an actual sentence, the federal judge will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate ranges for such offenses. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a final sentence.
An indictment is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until sufficient evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation leading up to this indictment was conducted by the Tohono O'odham Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Micah Schmit, District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR- 11-01750-CKJ –CRPRELEASE NUMBER: 2011-094(Montana)