In Spokane, Washington, Steven Joseph Zacherle was sentenced to 17 years in prison by United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice for the crimes of Second Degree Murder in Indian Country and Threats in Interstate Commerce. In addition to the prison sentence, Zacherle, 38, will face five years of supervised release and must pay restitution to cover the funeral expenses of the victim, as required by the court.
The incident in question occurred on the night of October 18, 2022, on the Colville Indian Reservation. Court documents reveal that Zacherle was involved in a domestic dispute near a gas station with his intimate partner, referred to as Victim 1. During the altercation, Victim 1 left the scene, prompting Zacherle to begin making threats via phone calls and texts, claiming he would “kill” and “hurt people.”
Around the same time, tribal elder Dion Boyd exited the nearby station. Zacherle and Boyd walked together briefly before Zacherle attacked Boyd, striking him in the head. Following the attack, Zacherle contacted Victim 1 again, boasting about knocking someone out and asked if she wanted to see what he had done. Boyd was found shortly thereafter by Omak Police and first responders, unresponsive and bleeding from the head. Despite receiving medical attention, Boyd was later declared brain-dead and died due to the injuries inflicted by Zacherle.
"My heart goes out to the Boyd family, who have suffered so much pain as a result of Mr. Zacherle’s unprovoked attack," commented Acting U.S. Attorney Richard R. Barker. His office, he stated, remains committed to prosecuting violent crimes on Tribal land in collaboration with various federal, state, local, and Tribal leaders.
At the sentencing, Assistant United States Attorney Bree Black Horse described Boyd as a valuable community member who served as an IT technician, helping tribal members in rural areas maintain communication networks.
"Mr. Boyd’s family and friends have uniformly described Mr. Boyd as a kind, generous person who helped raise his younger siblings and later his own children," Black Horse stated.
Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI’s Seattle field office remarked, "This appalling attack was truly senseless." He noted that Zacherle’s actions demonstrated "a shocking disregard for the value of human life."
This case is part of the Department of Justice's Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to address and resolve such cases through enhanced collaboration and coordination among federal, Tribal, state, and local partners. The initiative emphasizes preventing and responding to issues related to missing or murdered Indigenous people as a priority.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Colville Tribal Police Department, with the prosecution led by Acting U.S. Attorney Barker and MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney Bree R. Black Horse.