Hays man sentenced to more than 4 years in prison for death on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation

GREAT FALLS – A Hays man who fatally stabbed a woman on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 51 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $4,050 in restitution, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Tonylee Andrew Sears, 24, pleaded guilty in February 2025 to one count of voluntary manslaughter.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

The government alleged in court documents that in the early hours of January 13, 2024, law enforcement responded to reports of a stabbing at Sears’ home. Officers found the victim, Jane Doe, on the floor of the living room, bleeding. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers interviewed both Sears and a witness. The witness said he and Jane Doe had gone over to Sears’ house to drink alcohol and hang out. According to the witness, Sears and Jane Doe got into an argument that escalated. Sears ultimately grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed Jane Doe while she was on the ground. The witness pulled Sears off Jane Doe and called 911. Sears threw the knife in the kitchen sink.

When Sears was interviewed, he also told officers he and Jane Doe had gotten into an argument during which Jane Doe said something about Sears’ parents—both of whom are deceased—that aggravated him. Jane Doe and Sears then ended up in a scuffle on the floor. Sears admitted he stabbed her while they were rolling around on the floor.

During the investigation, officers recovered a knife from the kitchen sink, which still had blood on the blade and on the handle. Additionally, Jane Doe’s body was autopsied. The autopsy report concluded Jane Doe’s cause of death was a stab wound to the trunk: a knife pierced her heart, almost immediately killing her.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services.

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