Fort Kipp woman charged in the death of man hit by a vehicle on Fort Peck Indian Reservation

GREAT FALLS — A Fort Kipp woman suspected in the death of a man hit by a vehicle on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation was arraigned on March 15 on an indictment, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.

Jo Anne Sayetsitty, 34, pleaded not guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter. If convicted of the most serious crime, Sayetsitty faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $$250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston presided. Sayetsitty was released pending further proceedings.

The indictment alleges that on Aug. 22, 2019 near Fort Kipp, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Sayetsitty, upon a sudden quarrel or heat of passion, with extreme disregard for human life, recklessly and unlawfully killed the victim, identified as John Doe, by striking him and running over him with her vehicle.

The indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Cobell and Wendy A. Johnson are prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Fort Peck Tribal Law Enforcement.

PACER case reference. 22-10.

The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

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