U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI Announce Second-Degree Murder Charges in Taos County Stabbing Case

ALBUQUERQUE – A Penasco man has been charged by federal prosecutors with second-degree murder in connection with a fatal stabbing in Taos County in 2022, with the case being prosecuted under a Department of Justice initiative focused on Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP).

Byron Sanchez, 47, an enrolled member of the Picuris Pueblo, appeared before a federal judge today and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

The indictment alleges that on or about December 25, 2022, Sanchez killed John Doe with malice aforethought by stabbing Doe with a sharp object.

Sanchez will remain in custody pending a detention hearing and trial, which has not yet been scheduled.

If convicted, Sanchez faces any term of years up to life in prison for the murder charge.

U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney R. Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners.  The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components.  Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of Indigenous victims and their families.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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