Beclabito, N.M., Woman Sentenced to Eleven Years in Federal Prison for Second Degree Murder Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE – Krisohn Adakai, 21, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Beclabito, N.M., was sentenced yesterday to eleven years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for her second degree murder conviction.

Adakai was arrested in July 2012, and charged by criminal complaint with murdering Crystal Tom, a 26-year-old Navajo woman, on July 28, 2012, at Adakai’s home in Beclabito, which is located on the Navajo Reservation.   While drinking alcohol together, Adakai and the victim got into a fight during which Adakai repeatedly punched and stabbed the victim, who died as a result of the injuries she sustained.  Adakai fell asleep and awoke to find the victim’s unresponsive body.  Adakai attempted to conceal her crime by disposing of the body, the alcohol bottles and other evidence of the murder in a remote area on the Navajo Indian Reservation.  When confronted by law enforcement authorities on July 30, 2012, Adakai admitted committing the murder and led officers to the victim’s body and other evidence.

On June 13, 2013, Adakai pleaded guilty and admitted that the United States would be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she murdered the victim on July 28, 2013, in San Juan County, within the Navajo Indian Reservation.

This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Shiprock office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Presiliano A. Torrez.