The Murder of Jamie Yazzie: Judge sentences killer in tragic case overshadowed by Gabby Petito's

Yazzie’s family, who traveled from various parts of Arizona and New Mexico, packed the courtroom.

PUBLISHED SEP 24, 2024

Supporters from across the nation, including Gabby Petito’s step-parents, were present to show solidarity.

Phoenix, Arizona: Five years after she was killed Jamie Yazzie's murderer -- Tre James -- has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 2019 murder of the mother-of-three whose case brought national attention to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement.

The 31-year-old was sentenced by United States District Judge Douglas L Rayes to life in prison on count one and an additional 10 years in prison on count two to run consecutively. The jury also found James guilty of several acts of domestic violence committed against three other women, all members of the Navajo Nation.

James, who was Yazzie’s boyfriend at the time, shot and killed Yazzie on the Navajo Nation in the summer of 2019. He hid her remains on the Hopi Reservation, where they remained concealed for almost three years. The case also highlighted the disparity in attention given to missing Indigenous women compared to other high-profile cases like that of Gabby Petito.

Investigators faced significant challenges, including the fact that Yazzie had not been reported missing for several days, James had cleaned the crime scene, and the murder occurred while James and Yazzie were home alone together; the Covid pandemic, which hit the Navajo Nation particularly hard, also presented significant challenges. Investigators persevered and, during the investigation, discovered the assaults against other women, many of which had never been reported to law enforcement.

Jamie Yazzie's family an friends outside the courthouse.

Yazzie’s family, who traveled from various parts of Arizona and New Mexico, packed the courtroom for the sentencing. Many in attendance, including Yazzie’s three young sons, shed tears as the judge handed down one of the stiffest sentences seen since the MMIW movement gained momentum.

Yazzie’s mother spoke powerfully in court. The courtroom was moved to tears when a video statement from Jaime’s father, recorded in hospice before his passing, was played. He had lived long enough to witness James’s conviction but passed before the sentencing. Supporters from across the nation, including Gabby Petito’s step-parents, were present to show solidarity.