GRANTS, N.M. – A Zuni Pueblo man has pleaded guilty in federal court to voluntary manslaughter in connection with a 2024 shooting death, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.
Federal prosecutors said Glendon Laate, 49, a member of the Zuni Pueblo, admitted to shooting and killing an individual identified in court documents as John Doe on Dec. 1, 2024. Court records state the shooting involved a homemade shotgun and occurred “in the heat of passion,” a legal description generally referring to a killing carried out during intense emotion provoked by circumstances, rather than with premeditation.
Laate pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. At sentencing, he faces up to 15 years in prison, according to federal authorities. A sentencing date will be announced later.
The case was announced Tuesday, March 10, 2026, by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, special agent in charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office.
The FBI’s Gallup Resident Agency investigated the case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meg Tomlinson and Michael Pahl are prosecuting.