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Press Release

Murderer Sentenced to 30 Years

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Brian Riggs, 51, of Jeddito, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 30 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Riggs, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was convicted of Second Degree Murder following a seven-day jury trial. 

On February 16, 2019, emergency medical services responded to a home on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation. The victim was deceased and had sustained injuries over his entire body. Riggs was the only other person present at the home when the victim was killed. The victim and Riggs were involved in an intimate relationship. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Van Buskirk and Brian Kasprzyk, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR19-08091-PCT-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2023-050_Riggs

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

Contact

Public Affairs
Diana L. Varela
(602) 514-7743
diana.varela@usdoj.gov

Updated April 6, 2023

Topic
Indian Country Law and Justice
Press Release Number: 2023-050_Riggs