An enrolled member of the Navajo Nation was sentenced to more than 18 years in prison for second degree murder in a domestic violence case.
Roderrell Boyd Charley, 33, of Chinle, Ariz was sentenced to 222 months of imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes on Oct. 13. Charley previously pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder.
It was Charley’s mother who called police, who then found the victim lying in the road.
According to the FBI statement, Charley beat the victim to death with his fists and feet between Oct. 7 and Oct. 8, 2019. Family members heard him screaming and arguing with the victim on the night of Oct. 7. The next morning, Charley told his sister that the victim was no longer breathing and left the scene.
The victim was pronounced dead on arrival at the emergency room.
Blunt trauma was the cause of death, along with serious internal injuries, and multiple fractures. Extensive bruising on her face and body were also reported.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer E. LaGrange and Sharon K. Sexton, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
