(DailyEmailNews.com) – In a case that sparked the interest of millions, justice has been served as a violent criminal received a life sentence for murdering a Navajo woman.
Tre C. James was convicted of first-degree murder and multiple domestic violence charges in a case that highlights the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women.
James was Jamie Yazzie’s boyfriend. Yazzie was a 32-year-old mother of three who went missing in the summer of 2019 from Pinon on the Navajo Nation.
Her remains were discovered two years later on the neighboring Hopi reservation in northeastern Arizona.
U.S. District Court Judge Douglas L. Rayas handed down a life sentence to James for Yazzie’s murder.
In addition to the life term, James received an extra 10 years in prison to run at the same time and five years of supervised release for each assault charge.
The FBI had offered a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Yazzie’s disappearance and death.
The case gained national attention through the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women grassroots movement, which has been fighting to bring awareness to the disproportionate rates of violence against Native American women.
The U.S. Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs describes this violence as a crisis, with alarming rates of assault, abduction and murder.
“Today’s sentence underscores the fact that Jamie Yazzie was not forgotten by the FBI or our federal and tribal partners,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent Jose A. Perez in a press release.
“Our office is committed to addressing the violence that Native American communities in Arizona face every day and we will continue our efforts to protect families, help victims and ensure that justice is served in each case we pursue,” he further stated.
The investigation faced several challenges, including delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and James’s attempts to clean the crime scene.
A 2016 study revealed the shocking statistic that over 84% of American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence. Additionally, 56% of the women were victims of sexual violence.
“Securing justice for missing victims of violence necessitates courage, discipline, and collaboration,” United States Attorney Gary Restaino said.
While Yazzie’s family and supporters celebrated the sentencing as a form of justice for the victim, they also pointed out that her case was initially ignored.
It took the efforts of attorney Darlene Gomez to bring national attention to Yazzie’s disappearance.
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