TOHAJILEE, NM – Cole Ray Shorty, a 19year-old enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in connection with a fatal altercation that took place in May 2022. Shorty admitted to his involvement in the incident during a court appearance, according to a statement by Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office.
The incident occurred when Shorty went to the residence of a man identified as John Doe to retrieve a backpack that he believed had been stolen. Shorty confronted John Doe, who was sitting in his car, and opened the car's back door in search of his missing backpack. A confrontation ensued, during which John Doe brandished a baseball bat and a knife. After a struggle, Shorty wrested the bat from John Doe's possession and struck him on the head, leaving him unconscious.
Tragically, John Doe succumbed to blunt head trauma, as determined by the Office of the Medical Inspector. In his plea agreement, Shorty acknowledged responsibility for John Doe's death, admitting that he acted recklessly with extreme disregard for human life. The incident took place within Indian Country, specifically on Navajo Nation Trust Land in Cibola County, New Mexico.
The plea agreement specifies that Shorty now faces a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years. His sentencing has not yet been scheduled, and he will remain in custody until that time.
Shorty had been indicted by a federal grand jury on September 27, 2022, alongside his co-defendant, Keon Apachito. Apachito, who also faces charges related to the incident, remains in custody and is scheduled for trial on June 10, 2024.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office, with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations, investigated the case. Prosecution of the case is being led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany DuChaussee, Meg Tomlinson, and Mark Probasco.