ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Ellery Brent Yazzie, a 37-year-old resident of Pinehill, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, has pleaded guilty in federal court to a series of violent crimes, including two counts of seconddegree murder, two counts of assault, and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The plea agreement, announced on August 6, comes as the result of prosecutorial efforts after a brutal incident that occurred on the morning of December 22, 2023, at Yazzie’s family home located within the Navajo Nation's exterior boundaries in Pinehill, Cibola County.
According to court documents, Yazzie began the morning by descending to the kitchen with a holstered firearm in his waistband.
There, he confronted his sister, Jane Doe 1, threatening to shoot her and the rest of the family. According to court documents, this was not the first time Yazzie had made such threats.
His anger escalated, and he fatally shot his father, John Doe 1, then he turned the firearm on his brother, John Doe 2. Yazzie admitted in his plea agreement that he intended to cause serious bodily injury and was fully aware of the risk of death involved in his actions.
Following the murders, Yazzie turned the gun on his sister, shooting her in the lower extremities approximately six times, resulting in lifethreatening injuries. He then aimed at his mother, Jane Doe 2, who was crawling on the kitchen floor in a desperate attempt to escape. Yazzie admitted that he intended for the bullets to strike his mother, aiming to inflict bodily harm. Both Jane Doe 1 and 2 survived their injuries.
After the shooting spree, Yazzie retrieved another firearm and more ammunition from upstairs before attempting to take his own life. He was unsuccessful.
The plea agreement, negotiated between Yazzie’s attorney Noah W. Gelb and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, recommends a prison sentence of 25 to 30 years. This sentence includes the defendant’s acceptance of responsibility, with no further reductions. Yazzie also faces up to five years of supervised release following his prison term. Additionally, he has agreed to liquidate all firearms, ammunition, gun safes, and firearm accessories he owns, with the proceeds to be paid as restitution to the victims.
This tragic case was investigated by the Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, with assistance from the Ramah Navajo Police Department. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and FBI Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda announced the plea agreement, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caitlin L. Dillon and Jena Ritchey are prosecuting the case.
The sentencing of Ellery Brent Yazzie is pending, and he could face a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for the horrific acts that have left a deep scar on his family and the community.