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Labar Tsethlikai
GRANTS, N.M. – Labar Tsethlikai, a 51-yearold Zuni man, appeared in court as the prime suspect in a series of crimes targeting Native American men across Gallup, Zuni, Albuquerque and Cibola.
Tsethlikai, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, stands accused of the murder of John Doe, a member of the Navajo Nation, whose body was discovered on January 18, 2024, in a remote area of the Zuni Reservation.
According to the indictment filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, Tsethlikai is charged with unlawfully killing John Doe with malice aforethought. This charge is just one in a string of offenses spanning from May 2023 to April 2024, including murders, kidnappings, robberies, sexual abuses, and assaults.
According to information from the US Attorney’s Office the investigation used DNA evidence, EBT payments and records, and advanced cell phone tracking tools. USAO is alleging Tsethlikai's involvement in a total of 11 crimes, with seven occurring within Indian Country in McKinley an Cibola Counties, one involving the transportation of a victim from Indian Country to Albuquerque, and three in the Albuquerque area.
One victim is believed to have died after being kidnapped.
Authorities linked Tsethlikai to these crimes through a combination of evidence, including a common modus operandi, victim statements, video surveillance, EBT records, DNA analysis, and advanced cellular phone tracking. This comprehensive evidence places Tsethlikai at or near each crime scene during the relevant time periods.
If convicted, Tsethlikai faces a maximum sentence of life in prison followed by five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement regarding Tsethlikai's indictment.
The investigation into Tsethlikai's alleged crimes continues, with authorities urging anyone with information or who may have been a victim to come forward. The FBI can be reached at (505) 889-1300, and tips can be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov.
The FBI described him as approximately 5’7” and weighing 180 pounds, Tsethlikai is recognizable by his heavyset build, short brown hair, brown eyes, and glasses. He is known to frequent areas around New Mexico, including Gallup, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe, and is believed to work in the Native American jewelry industry. Tsethlikai drives a gold/brown Chevy Silverado, single cab truck, with license plate number WNMU0043.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to address and prevent violence against Indigenous people. The prosecution of Tsethlikai underscores the Department’s commitment to seeking justice for Indigenous victims and their families.
Tsethlikai faces a court hearing May 1 in Albuquerque.