SHIPROCK WOMAN CHARGED WITH SECOND-DEGREE MURDER AFTER FATAL SHOOTING OUTSIDE NEW MEXICO RESIDENCE

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO — A 39-year-old woman from Shiprock, New Mexico, has been charged with second-degree murder and a federal firearms offense following the fatal shooting of a man outside her residence on the Navajo Nation. Federal investigators allege that Letisha Begay shot the victim during an encounter involving his motorcycle and her pickup truck on October 4, 2026.

The charges were announced October 14 by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office. Begay, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, is accused of shooting the man in the chest before he was discovered unconscious behind the wheel of a pickup truck.

According to federal court documents, Begay told responding officers that the man had been drinking throughout the day and had returned to her residence looking for his motorcycle. She reported receiving a telephone call from her distressed daughter, prompting her to return home.

Begay told investigators that when she arrived, she discovered the man taking the keys to her truck. The encounter subsequently ended in gunfire, according to the criminal complaint.

A witness in the area reported hearing a loud bang before observing a pickup truck backing toward another vehicle. The truck struck the second vehicle, and witnesses subsequently discovered the man unconscious in the driver’s seat with an apparent gunshot wound to his chest.

Begay approached the vehicle and initially told a witness that the man had shot himself, according to investigators. She then attempted to stop the bleeding while witnesses contacted emergency responders.

Officers arriving at the residence began lifesaving efforts, but the victim died at the scene. The Justice Department’s October 14 announcement does not publicly identify the deceased man or disclose his age.

During questioning, Begay allegedly acknowledged that she had fired the shot but maintained that she had not intended to shoot the victim.

Investigators reported that she directed officers to a pistol inside her residence and identified it as the weapon involved in the shooting. Officers also observed damage to the driver’s-side window of the pickup truck, including shattered glass and a small hole.

Begay’s reported statements concerning her intentions will be relevant to the federal prosecution. Second-degree murder generally involves an unlawful killing committed with malice aforethought but without the premeditation required for first-degree murder. Whether prosecutors can establish the necessary criminal intent will depend on the evidence presented in court.

The case also includes a separate charge of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Federal law provides enhanced penalties for qualifying firearms offenses connected to underlying violent crimes, including additional penalties when a firearm is discharged.

The federal prosecution arises from an incident in Shiprock, a community within the Navajo Nation in northwestern New Mexico. Serious criminal offenses committed in Indian Country may fall under federal jurisdiction when statutory requirements concerning the offense, location, and parties involved are satisfied.

The investigation involves federal and Navajo Nation law enforcement authorities, reflecting the coordination required when violent crimes occur within tribal communities.

According to the Justice Department, Begay is currently subject to conditions of release while awaiting trial. Her release status does not resolve the charges or establish a finding concerning the allegations. A trial date had not been scheduled as of the October 14 announcement.

If convicted of the charges currently filed against her, Begay faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment. Any eventual sentence would be determined through the federal judicial process, taking into account the applicable statutes and sentencing requirements.

The investigation was conducted by the Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Ray Slatton is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.

Letisha Begay has been charged, not convicted. The allegations contained in the criminal complaint remain subject to examination in federal court, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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