Two individuals have been sentenced to 19 years in prison for their involvement in the murder of Jane Doe, which occurred in January 2020. In addition to their prison sentences, they are required to pay $5,355.60 in restitution. The defendants, Stacey Yellowhorse and Timothy Chischilly, are members of the Navajo Nation.
The crime took place on January 23, 2020, when Yellowhorse and Chischilly invited Jane Doe to Chischilly's residence in Mexican Springs. They restrained her by nailing her hands and head to the floor before beating her to death. Afterward, they burned her remains and dispersed them across various locations within the Navajo Nation.
In an attempt to cover up their actions, Yellowhorse and Chischilly misled Doe's family about her whereabouts. They falsely claimed that Doe had been dropped off at a local restaurant and assured her family that she would be found safe. Yellowhorse even promised Doe’s seven-year-old daughter that she would find her mother and bring her back safely.
On January 27, 2020, after Jane Doe was reported missing, Chischilly confessed the details of the murder to his family, leading to his arrest along with Yellowhorse on February 1, 2020.
Chischilly entered a guilty plea for second-degree murder in February 2024. Yellowhorse also pled guilty to second-degree murder shortly before their trial was set to begin in March 2024.
Following their release from prison, both will be under supervised release for five years.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The investigation was conducted by the Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from several law enforcement agencies including the Navajo Nation Police Department and Gallup Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Brawley and Tavo Hall.