Pueblo Pintado Man Pleads Guilty to Murder

ALBUQUERQUE – A Pueblo Pintado man admitted to fatally shooting another man after a night of heavy drinking and a physical altercation.

According to court documents, on March 17, 2025, in McKinley County, Thurman Curley, 36, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, shot and killed John Doe following a physical altercation after a night of heavy drinking.

Curley pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. At sentencing, Curley faces up to eight years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Curley will be subject to five years of supervised release.

Acting 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.

This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.