This week, a Pinon man, Tre C. James, was found guilty by a jury of the First Degree Murder of Jamie Yazzie.
The jury also found James guilty of several acts of domestic violence committed against three former intimate and dating partners. The guilty verdict followed a seven-day jury trial. Sentencing is set for January 29, 2024. James faces a mandatory life sentence for his crimes.
James was charged with nine federal crimes.
According to the Department of Justice, counts 1 and 2 alleged that James shot and killed Jamie Yazzie, a Pinon woman who went missing in the summer of 2019, and whose remains were found on the Hopi Indian Reservation in November 2021. Ms. Yazzie was listed as a missing person by both Federal and Tribal law enforcement.
While investigating Ms. Yazzie’s disappearance, law enforcement uncovered several acts of domestic violence that James committed against other women. The jury unanimously found James guilty of these domestic violence counts as well, Counts 3 through 9.