Convicted Murderer Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Missing Navajo Woman

PHOENIX, Ariz. - Tre C. James, 31, of Pinon, was sentenced today 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, for the murder of Jamie Yazzie, a woman classified as a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person from the Navajo Nation. A federal jury previously found James guilty of First Degree Murder for Yazzie's death. The jury also found James guilty of several acts of domestic violence committed against three other women, all members of the Navajo Nation. Judge Rayes sentenced James to an additional 10 years in prison to run concurrently, and five years of supervised release for each of those assaults.

"Securing justice for missing victims of violence necessitates courage, discipline, and collaboration," said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. "It also requires all of us to demonstrate our commitment with alacrity: for communities to report their missing loved ones as soon as possible; for victim advocates to engage early and often with next of kin; and for agents and prosecutors to charge cases as soon as they are ready to be charged."

"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 in Charge Jose A. Perez. "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."

James 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. Multiple agencies worked together to investigate Yazzie's disappearance, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Services, Navajo Nation Police Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Navajo County Sheriff's Office.

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 global 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.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer E. LaGrange and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharon K. Sexton, U.S. Attorney's Office, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. Ms. Yazzie's mother, father, grandmother and other relatives provided support to the investigation and prosecution over several years.

CASE NUMBER: CR-22-08073-PCT-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-126_James

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