Zuni Man Sentenced for 2023 Murder

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man was sentenced to 72 months prison for voluntary manslaughter.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on February 4, 2023, Joey Luarkie, 25, an enrolled member of the Zuni pueblo, Luarkie stabbed John Doe in the neck during an argument at a residence on the Zuni Pueblo. John Doe was found outside the residence by responding officers and died the next day after being transported to the hospital and undergoing emergency surgeries.

Luarkie pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Upon his release from prison, Luarkie will be subject to one year 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 Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.

This press release was posted November 14, after the end of the federal government shutdown.