FBI: Sheldon Bernard Chase arrested, 3-year-old witnessed triple slaying in Mont.

Jodi Rave Spotted Bear

Jodi Rave Spotted Bear

Founder & Editor in Chief

Trust MarkWhy you can trust us
This story was filed on
Body being removed from house on Crow Reservation, site of triple slaying
Read the entire
Associated Press
article, which was posted at 11:16 p.m.

By MATTHEW BROWN and NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS , 10.06.11, 11:16 PM EDT

BILLINGS, Mont. — A 3-year-old child witnessed the killing of three people in a remote area of Montana’s Crow Indian Reservation and named a family member as the shooter, according to an FBI affidavit.

Sheldon Bernard Chase, 22, was captured in Washington state Wednesday after a multi-state manhunt and made an initial appearance before a judge Thursday. He’s accused of killing his grandmother, cousin and cousin’s boyfriend at their rural home on Tuesday.

Dressed in a yellow jumpsuit and wearing leg shackles, Chase gave yes and no answers to a series of questions from U.S. Magistrate Cynthia Imbrogno on Thursday, and asked to be returned to Montana as soon as possible.

The violence inside a prominent Crow family known for its adherence to traditional tribal values has roiled the reservation south of Billings. An FBI affidavit filed in the criminal complaint against Chase offers new insight into what happened.

Support the Documenters Program!

Chase suffers from mental illness, according to authorities and those who know him. The affidavit said Chase had stopped taking his medications prior to the shootings, although it does not specify when or what the medications were.

Full AP story on Forbes.

© Buffalo's Fire. All rights reserved.
This article is not included in our Story Share & Care selection.The content may only be reproduced with permission from the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance. Please see our content sharing guidelines.