KINNEAR MAN SENTENCED TO 42 MONTHS ON ASSAULT CHARGE

Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that SHAYNE KYLE ARMAJO, age 34 of Kinnear, Wyoming was sentenced to 42 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Scott W. Skavdahl. A jury found Armajo guilty in February of assaulting his uncle with a knife.

In October 2020, Armajo and his uncle had been drinking heavily and were driving home from visiting friends when an argument about money ensued. The pair pulled to the side of the road where they exited the uncle’s truck, who had been driving, and continued arguing Armajo stabbed his uncle in the leg with a knife. Shortly after the stabbing, Armajo left the scene in his uncle’s truck. A passerby later spotted an unresponsive man lying by the side of the road, on the Wind River Indian Reservation, and called 911. The uncle was life-flighted to Wyoming Medical Center in Casper due to the significant loss of blood. He survived the assault.  

“Even though both men had been drinking heavily and should not have been operating a motor vehicle, the fact that Armajo left his uncle for dead is extremely concerning. Because of his reckless behavior, he nearly killed a man and could have injured others while driving drunk,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Murray. “Thanks to the passerby, the FBI and Wind River Police Department, the victim survived, and his attacker was held accountable.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Wind River Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Timothy J. Forwood.