A To’Hajiilee man has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for voluntary manslaughter in connection with the death of John Doe. The incident occurred in May 2022, and the sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office.
Court documents revealed that on May 27, 2022, Cole Ray Shorty, a 21-year-old enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, visited John Doe's residence accompanied by several individuals, including a juvenile. Upon arrival, Shorty found Doe sitting in his car outside his home. A confrontation ensued when Shorty opened the back door of Doe's vehicle. Doe exited with a bat, leading to a struggle during which he was disarmed and taken to the ground.
Instead of leaving after disarming Doe, Shorty struck him in the head with the bat. This action left Doe injured and unconscious at the scene. John Doe succumbed to his injuries at the University of New Mexico Hospital on May 30, 2022. The Office of the Medical Inspector determined that blunt head trauma was the cause of death and classified it as a homicide.
Shorty's sentence includes three years of supervised release following his imprisonment. There is no parole available in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the FBI Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from both the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany DuChaussee, Zachary Jones, Mark Probasco, and Meg Tomlinson.