A Zuni woman has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for her role in a 2019 kidnapping that led to the death of the victim. Kendra Panteah, aged 37 and an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, was involved in confining John Doe in the trunk of his vehicle between July 1 and July 16, 2019. She transported the victim to her co-defendant, Gilbert John Jr., and drove around the Navajo Nation for over a day with him locked in the trunk.
The pair stopped near Bass Lake, New Mexico. When John Doe attempted to escape, he was repeatedly stabbed by John Jr. with a machete, resulting in his death. Following this incident, Panteah and John Jr. left the vehicle containing Doe's body abandoned for several days before John Jr. moved it to a remote area, set it on fire after dousing it with gasoline to destroy evidence. The victim was later identified through hip replacement devices found in the charred remains of the vehicle.
Gilbert John Jr. had earlier pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received a sentence of 21 years in prison in June 2024.
Following her prison term, Panteah will undergo five years of supervised release.
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 carried out by the Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office with support from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Probasco and Alexander F. Flores.