CHURCH ROCK, NM – In a federal court ruling, Isaiah Augustine Bob, 39, a member of the Navajo Nation, received a 15-year prison sentence followed by five years of supervised release for the murder of his friend in December 2020. Bob was also mandated to pay restitution to the victim's family for funeral expenses and damages incurred due to the crime.
According to federal court documents, following an argument on December 4, 2020, at the victim's residence in Church Rock, New Mexico, Bob fatally assaulted John Doe, resulting in blunt-force trauma to Doe's head, torso, and extremities. Doe, who had temporarily invited Bob to stay with him, died as a result of the injuries inflicted by Bob.
Bob pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Indian Country on March 10, 2023, and faced a sentencing hearing where a judge said John Doe was a 'vulnerable victim.' The judge said Doe's susceptibility to Bob's criminal actions and the need for heightened societal protection, led to an upward adjustment in Bob's sentencing-guideline level.
Bob was sentenced to 15 years in prison with five years of supervised release after leaving prison.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, jointly announced the sentencing outcome. The investigation, spearheaded by the Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI's Albuquerque Field Office, received assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander F. Flores and Zachary Jones handled the prosecution of the case.