GRANTS, N.M. — The long-delayed murder case against Danny Stanfield, accused in the 2009 killings of Clyde “Sonny Jim” James and rancher Wayne Johnson near San Rafael, is now officially scheduled for jury trial beginning February 2, 2026, at the Cibola County Courthouse in Grants.
According to court records, Judge Amanda Sanchez Villalobos will preside over the proceedings, which are slated to run February 2 through February 6, 2026, with a motion hearing set for January 8, 2026.
The case has spanned more than fifteen years, delayed by repeated competency evaluations and treatment orders before the court ruled earlier this year that Stanfield is fit to stand trial. He remains in custody as the 13th Judicial District Attorney’s Office continues preparations.
James, known across Indian Country as “Sonny Jim,” was a Modoc and Klamath cowboy celebrated for his storytelling and rodeo career. His death and that of Johnson on Johnson’s ranch south of Grants shocked the region in October 2009 and has since become one of Cibola County’s longestrunning homicide cases.
A pretrial conference was held October 20 in Grants, where prosecutors updated the court on witness coordination and expert preparations.
The Citizen will continue following developments as the February trial approaches.