Man pleads not guilty to first degree murder on Crow Indian Reservation

BILLINGS – A man pleaded not guilty today to an indictment charging him with first degree murder and other crimes in the shooting death of a victim and wounding of another victim on the Crow Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

The indictment charges Taylor Leigh Plain Bull, 27, a transient, with first degree murder, assault with intent to commit murder and two counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

An indictment is merely an accusation, and Plain Bull is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The indictment alleges that on Oct. 24, on Blue Creek Road, on the Crow Indian Reservation, Plain Bull unlawfully killed a person identified as Jane Doe with malice aforethought and that he intentionally assaulted a person identified as John Doe with intent to commit murder. The indictment further alleges Plain Bull used a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol in committing the crimes.

First degree murder carries a sentence of mandatory life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. Assault with intent to commit murder carries maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The firearms charge carries a penalty of a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided and ordered Plain Bull detained pending further proceedings.

The FBI investigated the case.

PACER case reference. 20-136.

The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

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