Fruitland Man Charged with Second-Degree Murder

ALBUQUERQUE – A Fruitland man has been indicted on federal charges in connection with the murder of a woman.

According to court documents, on December 9, 2024, Timothy Begay, 38, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, intentionally killed Jane Doe.

Begay is charged with second degree murder and will be released third-party to a halfway house pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Begay faces up to life in prison.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.