Teesto man convicted of murder
CHINLE
A Teesto, Arizona, man was convicted of first-degree murder, assault and kidnapping Tuesday in connection with the death of his girlfriend in September of 2017.
Giordano Jackson, 39, will be sentenced in February, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney for Arizona.
The crime was prosecuted in federal court because it was a capital crime that occurred on a Native American reservation. The case was investigated by the FBI.
The press release did not name the victim.
According to the prosecution, Jackson beat the victim to death outside his home in Teesto, then assaulted two Navajo Nation Police officers with a machete when they came to investigate.
Two months earlier, according to the press release, Jackson had dragged the victim by the hair with enough force to pull out chunks of hair.
A jury convicted him of first-degree murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury and kidnapping.
First-degree murder in Arizona is punishable by the death penalty or up to life in prison.
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