ZUNI PUEBLO – On May 4, Zuni Pueblo man Brian Wallace pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Wallace will remain in custody until his sentencing which has not been scheduled.
In a plea deal, Wallace admitted to killing his victim – identified in court documents as John Doe – between July 5, 2022, and September 9, 2022. Wallace admitted to burying John Doe in a shallow grave at a friend’s house, using their backyard.
In October 2022, Wallace called police to turn himself in. Wallace pointed out where he had buried John Doe and explained to them what happened in court documents which are currently redacted.
The office of the medical examiner found that John Doe died of blunt force trauma to his chest.
Wallace faces up to 12 years in prions as a result of the plea agreement.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant US Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting this case.