A Navajo man, Jason Lee Martinez, has been charged with second-degree murder in Indian Country. The charges stem from a shooting incident on July 26, 2022, near Ojo Encino. Officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to reports of a shooting and found John Doe deceased at the scene with gunshot wounds.
Witnesses identified Martinez, 51, as the shooter who fled immediately after the incident. Investigators recovered seven .40 caliber bullet casings at the scene. An autopsy confirmed that a single bullet caused fatal injuries to John Doe's chest, heart, lung, and liver.
On August 26, 2022, FBI agents interviewed Martinez. He admitted to being involved in an altercation with John Doe. Currently held in custody pending trial, Martinez faces up to life imprisonment if convicted.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case.
"A criminal complaint is merely an allegation," officials stated. "All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."