Warm Springs Woman Sentenced to Over Three Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting Victim with Knife
Victim’s Neck Required 11 Staples to Close Wound

PORTLAND, OR—Krystal Lee Finnley, 20, of Warm Springs, was sentenced to 37 months in prison today by U.S. District Judge Ancer L. Haggerty for assaulting a Warm Springs tribal member with a knife. On November 7, 2011, Finnley pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm. Judge Haggerty ordered Finnley to spend three years on supervised release after she is released from the Bureau of Prisons.

“The defendant’s brutal attack almost killed the victim in this case,” stated U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall. “Public safety in Indian Country is a priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice. The Warm Springs Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are absolutely committed to bringing violent offenders to justice.”

On June 3, 2011, Finnley was drinking alcohol at her residence on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation when she heard that a certain person was at a nearby residence. Finnley then went to that residence to confront the person about a past dispute. After a short conversation, Finnley took a knife from her pocket and sliced the throat of the person she confronted. The person almost died, as the gash from Finnley’s knife came extremely close to the victim’s carotid artery. Emergency room doctors needed to place 11 staples in the victim’s neck to close the wound. Finnley was arrested shortly after the assault, near the crime scene. In an interview with police, Finnley admitted that she wanted to cut the victim and give him a scar.

The federal case was investigated by the Warm Springs Police Department and the FBI’s office in Bend, Oregon. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Gabriel prosecuted the case.