Fort Duchesne man sentenced 25 years in jail for 2018 Indian reservation murder
Aug 22, 2023, 4:25 PM | Updated: Aug 23, 2023, 4:56 pm
FBI agents mark evidence at the scene of a June 2018 shooting near Randlett on the Uintah and Quray Indian Reservation. (FBI)
(FBI)
UPDATE — On Wednesday, the United States Attorney’s Office District of Utah said that 28-year-old Brandon Redfoot was sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment and a term of four years of supervised release.
“Taking a life without apparent justification is an extremely serious matter and doing it in a violent way is extremely serious. It is my judgment that Mr. Maryboy be placed in the custody of Bureau of Prisons for a period of 180 months on count one and 120 months on count two for a sentence of 300 months,” said Senior United States Federal District Court Judge David Nuffer in a prepared statement.
SALT LAKE CITY — A Fort Duchesne man was found guilty of murder in connection with a 2018 shooting death.
On June 7, 2018, Julio Rodriguez, 24, was shot outside a home near Randlett on the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. The next day, Brandon Redfoot, 28, was arrested in connection with that shooting.
Friday, after a five-day trial, Redfoot was found guilty of murder within Indian Country, a second-degree felony. He was also found guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon while within Indian Country; felony in possession of a firearm and ammunition; and two counts of discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The KelTec Sub-2000 9 mm folding rifle thought to be connected to a 2018 shooting near Randlett on the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. Brandon Redfoot was found guilty of murder in the shooting death of Julio Rodriguez Friday. (Photo: FBI)
Testimony at trial revealed Redfoot and Rodriguez physically fought each other outside a store in Randlett. They parted ways, driving separately, and then Redfoot told the driver of his vehicle to turn around and follow Rodriguez, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Utah.
The driver refused to turn around and Redfoot threatened him or her with a KelTec Sub-2000 9 mm folding rifle, per the district attorney’s office. The affidavit continues, saying the driver complied, following Rodriguez to the outside of a home on the reservation, where Redfood fired at least 29 shots toward Rodriguez and others, hitting him in the back of the head and killing him.
Redfoot faces a maximum potential sentence of up to life in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 27.
