A Red Lake, Minn., man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for second-degree murder.
Jeremiah Kingbird, 39, pleaded guilty in October to striking and strangling his wife and leaving her on the road in below-freezing temperatures in Redby, Minn., last winter. He was sentenced to prison and an additional five years of supervised probation after his release on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
According to court documents, Kingbird and his wife had been driving to their home in Ponemah, Minn., on Jan. 6, when they began to argue. After physically attacking his wife, Kingbird left her on the road near Highway 1 and Old Ponemah Road.
Law enforcement found her hours after the altercation lying facedown in the snow with severe injuries to her head and neck and having difficulty breathing. She was transported to Red Lake IHS Hospital, where hospital staff were unable to revive her.
During a search of Kingbird's vehicle, investigators found blood on the passenger side, and Kingbird admitted to violently assaulting the victim and leaving her outside in the elements.
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"The disproportionally high rates of violence that plague Native American women is unacceptable," U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald said in a statement. "Today’s sentence represents justice for the victim and our commitment to putting an end to the staggering (Missing and Murdered Indigenous People) issue.”
