Lapwai Man Arrested Following Indictment for Second Degree Murder and Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence

COEUR D’ALENE – William O. Eyle, 20, of Lapwai, was arrested by the United States Marshals Service on November 27, 2023, in Pendleton, OR, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.

According to a previously unsealed indictment, on October 17, 2023, Eyle was charged in U.S. District Court with one count of murder in the second degree and one count of use of a firearm during a crime of violence after he allegedly killed E.A. by shooting him repeatedly on or about May 12, 2023, on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation.

Eyle’s mother, Jacinta Wheeler, 43, also of Lapwai, was charged in the same indictment with accessory after the fact to murder.  Wheeler allegedly cleaned out Eyle’s car, disposed of evidence, and assisted Eyle in leaving the Nez Perce Indian Reservation.  Wheeler’s trial is scheduled for March 25, 2024.

If convicted on the murder count, Eyle faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the excellent coordination between tribal, state, and federal partners, including the Nez Perce Tribal Police, Umatilla Tribal Police, Yakama Nation Police, the Moscow Police Department, Oregon State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Marshals Service, which led to the arrest of Eyle.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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