Benjamin Youngbear, who was murdered at Ohkay Owingeh in May 2015, is seen in a photo on social media.

Law

All charges dropped for murder of Northern Cheyenne man in New Mexico

Monday, May 23, 2016

Federal prosecutors have dropped charges against two men who were accused of murdering a member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe on a reservation in northern New Mexico.

Jack R. Patterson, Jr. and Antonio Valdez were accused of killing Benjamin Youngbear, 28, last May and burying his body at Ohkay Owingeh. But both cases were dismissed due to lack of evidence, The Rio Grande Sun reported.

“Additional investigation indicates that there is insufficient evidence to proceed at this time,” the U.S. Attorney's Office wrote in a motion to dismiss Patterson's case that was granted on April 6. “Accordingly, in the interest of justice, the United States will not proceed with its prosecution and requests that this matter be dismissed without prejudice.”

Youngbear went missing on May 25, 2015, and was killed around that time, according to authorities. He was allegedly shot by Patterson, 66, during a botched robbery at Patterson's home.

Valdez, 24, helped bury the remains, authorities said, but the case against him was dropped last October due to insufficient evidence. He was killed in a car crash in January, The Rio Grande Sun reported.

Youngbear was born and raised in Montana but was sent to Ohkay Owingeh following the death of his mother at the age of 7. His father, who was Northern Cheyenne, subsequently passed when he was 12.

Youngbear and his two sisters lived at Ohkay Owingeh, the tribe of their late mother. Yvette Youngbear passed away in March 2015 and Nicole Edmonds died in July 2015.

Get the Story:
Prosecutors Drop Charges in Killing (The Rio Grande Sun 5/19)