Meth & Murder
Three suspects in triple murder arrested, fourth being sought

By Brian Hassler
Staff Writer

HOGBACK — Three people have been arrested and another is being sought in connection with the Nov. 7 triple murder in Hogback.

Late Saturday, a group of law enforcement officers and investigators, after obtaining federal arrest and search warrants, arrested Robert Darcy Manus, 26, of Shiprock, and Chuck Custer Nahkai, 29, of Beclabito, N.M.

Earlier in the week officers had arrested Shiprock resident Eugina Renee Cowboy, 22. Police are now searching for Michael D. Johnson, 26, of Shiprock who, along with the three already in custody, will be charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Vickie Benally, Lars Yazzie and Bobby Fulton. The four will also face a number of other charges including drug distribution.

Johnson remains at large and is considered "armed and dangerous" by the FBI and is believed to be somewhere in New Mexico or on the Navajo Reservation.

Benally, Yazzie and Fulton were found dead after being shot "execution-style" Nov.7 on Turkey Shoot Road in Hogback.

The activities leading up to the shootings, as released by the FBI, tell a story of a prepared execution.

Multiple gunshot wounds
According to FBI reports, the following took place:

On Monday, Nov. 7 at 12:30 a.m. the Shiprock police department received countless phone calls concerning shots being fired on Turkey Shoot Road in Hogback.

Officers Phillip Joe and Maxeen Toledo arrived on the scene to find a 2004 Suzuki Verona and the bodies of Yazzie, Fulton and Benally.

By 3:45 a.m. FBI Special Agent Jeffrey J. Walter had arrived on the scene and found a car with the right rear door open and with numerous rifle and shotgun shells in the area. The vehicle was riddled with bullet holes.

Fulton was found on the ground with multiple wounds to his body and with drugs at his side.

"Fulton had no clothes on except for a pair of boxer shorts," states the FBI report. "On the ground next to Fulton's body was a metal pipe commonly used to ingest methamphetamine and a small clear baggie of white crystallized substance."

Yazzie was found in the driver's seat of the car, covered in blood and leaning over Benally, who was in the passenger's seat and was also covered in blood. Benally had what appeared to be a shotgun wound to her head and was holding in her hand what appeared to be a glass pipe commonly used to ingest meth.

Investigators moved the bodies to Albuquerque where it was found that Fulton had been shot 14 times, Yazzie had been shot nine times and Benally had seven gunshot wounds and a close-contact wound to her head.

Clues
Both Benally and Yazzie used a cell phone to dial the number of a woman in Kirtland between 10 p.m. Saturday and 12:16 a.m. on Sunday. The woman was the sister of a man who confirmed that Yazzie, Fulton and a woman he did not know (Benally) came to his home between 9-10 p.m. and asked to use his phone.

The man said he gave the trio his cell phone and went into his house momentarily and when he returned, the three were gone.

A review of cell phone records had the phone possessed by Benally, Yazzie and Fulton being used to make numerous calls to one number in particular.

That phone number belonged to Eugina Cowboy and Rose Ben and had been part of 25 calls made between 11-12:20 a.m. on the night of the homicide.

A video tape from the "7-2-11" on Highway 64 in Shiprock showed Yazzie and Fulton between 10:34-11 p.m. at the store shortly before the shootings took place. They were driving the vehicle that is believed to belong to Benally.

A maroon-colored Mitsubishi Gallant was also seen leaving the store at the same time.

Investigators discovered that Rose Ben, Cowboy's mother, is the owner of a maroon-colored Gallant and that Ben frequently allows Cowboy to borrow the vehicle. Ben also told investigators that Cowboy had her vehicle Sunday evening but that she doesn't know when Cowboy got home.

A bloody finale
Cowboy was interviewed by investigators and admitted to meeting with Fulton at the 7-2-11 and was then called by Nahkai. Nahkai had heard that she had been talking to Fulton and told her to go to Michael Johnson's house in Indian Village.

"Johnson believed that Cowboy was dealing drugs and infringing on his 'territory' because Cowboy had recently been spending a large amount of money," said the FBI report. "Cowboy was not dealing drugs but had recently won a settlement from a car accident she had been in."

Problems had existed between Fulton and Johnson, and Johnson instructed Cowboy to keep Fulton in Shiprock by promising him some meth. Cowboy was then told to pick up Manus and returned to find Nahkai and Johnson cleaning their guns, according to FBI reports.

The three men, Johnson, Nahkai and Manus got into Cowboy's vehicle and instructed her to drive to the Hogback Chapter House.

"They got out of the car and placed a large rock in the middle of the road," said the report. "They gave her an 'eight ball' of meth to give to Fulton and instructed Cowboy to find Fulton and have him follow her to the road near the Hogback Chapter House."

When she reached the rock in the road, Cowboy was to stop while the three men hid in the bushes. Fulton arrived and got into the front seat of the car to get the "eight ball." After Fulton exited the car, the three men began firing on Fulton before he got back into the car with Cowboy, and theytold her to go.

The rock was in the way, and she went to move it. While she was dong that, the three men pulled Fulton from the car and "finished him off" before leaving for Johnson's grandmother's place in Beclabito, N.M.

According to FBI spokesman Bill Elwell, investigators believe that Fulton was the main target of the shooting.

"I think the other two victims were unfortunately at the wrong place at the wrong time," he said.

While in Beclabito, the four suspects burned their clothing and hid the guns used in the attack. Cowboy slept while the other three cleaned the blood out of the vehicle.

Charges set
"There is probable cause to believe that the above named subjects did unlawfully kill Vickie Benally, Lars Yazzie and Bobby Fulton, with malice aforethought and premeditation which was perpetrated by the means of lying in wait, first degree-murder, and did discharge a firearm or firearms in the furtherance of a crime of violence," the FBI report states. "The four did also distribute drugs on Indian country and are all enrolled members of the Navajo tribe."

Anyone sighting or having information as to the whereabouts of Johnson should contact the Albuquerque Division of the FBI at (505) 889-1300 or their local sheriff's office or police department.

— Brian Hassler is The Independent's Four Corners reporter based in Shiprock. Contact him at (505) 360-7862 or via email at brianhassler@hotmail.com.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.