NAVAJO, NEX MEXICO: A New Mexico man will be incarcerated for over 30 years after admitting to brutally murdering two men. In a horrifying act, he decapitated one victim with an ax and incinerated the head on the victim's stove.
On Monday, November 27, US District Court Judge William P Johnson ordered Shilo A Oldrock, 30, a member of the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe, to serve a sentence of 35 years in a federal correctional facility.
The defendant previously pleaded guilty to the crime
In August this year, Oldrock pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder and one count of voluntary manslaughter in the victims’ deaths.
Judge Johnson specifically handed down a 20-year sentence for the murder charge and a 15-year sentence on the manslaughter charge, with the sentences to run consecutively, meaning one after the other.
He will be required to spend an additional five years on probation following his release.
What did the authorities say?
FBI Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda of the Albuquerque Field Office said in a statement, “The rationale behind the depraved violent criminal acts committed in this case may be hard to understand."
"But our message today is crystal clear: the FBI and its partners will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who show such a callous disregard for innocent lives,” he added, per US Attorney's Office.
“The investigation of Oldrock, and his 35-year sentence, stand as a testament to the collaboration and dedication of the FBI, Navajo Nation Criminal Investigators, and the United States Attorney’s Office to bring justice to victims of violent crimes in Indian County.”
When did the crimes take place?
According to court documents, the killings occurred within a span of less than nine months. Both victims, identified as "PS" and "EB" in a news release, were acquainted with Oldrock.
As per the prosecutors, on the night of January 29, 2021, Oldrock and the victims were engaged in drinking and methamphetamine use. A physical altercation ensued between PS and EB, resulting in physical harm to PS
“Instead of rendering aid, Oldrock decided to ‘finish off’ PS and struck him in the head with a metal iron, killing him,” prosecutors wrote. “Oldrock burned PS’s body in a burn barrel to cover up his crime.”
Following the death of PS, his family discovered his deserted car and reported him missing.
Subsequently, his name was included in the FBI's List of Native Americans Verified as Missing Throughout New Mexico and the Navajo Nation.
The family persistently searched for the victim for approximately two years after his demise at the hands of Oldrock, as per prosecutors.
Oldrock was paranoid after killing PS
The killing of PS had detrimental effects on Oldrock’s mental state, leading him to attack EB several months later.
“On October 10, 2021, driven by paranoia from the killing of PS and the death of his grandmother, Oldrock attacked EB, stabbing him approximately 22 times before using an ax to decapitate him. Oldrock later admitted to law enforcement that he killed both PS and EB,” prosecutors wrote.
Authorities observed that Oldrock harbored the belief that EB "would harm him to conceal [PS's] murder."
Additionally, Oldrock confided in multiple individuals, asserting that he suspected [EB] of being responsible for the death of one of his family members and causing harm to his mother.
Oldrock informed a witness that, following the beheading of EB, he "tossed his head into the wood stove situated inside [EB's] residence," according to court documents.
Subsequent to this admission, Oldrock remarked to the witness, "What comes around, goes around."
“It is our solemn duty to bring justice and answers to grieving Tribal communities,” US Attorney Uballez said in a statement.
“No amount of investigation, prosecution, or years in prison will bring back a murdered loved one. But this team of local, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners will meet the case of each missing and murdered Indigenous person with urgency, transparency, and coordination,” he added.
