Lezmond Mitchell was executed in Indiana federal prison in August 2020 after being found guilty for the murders of Alyce Slim and Tiffany Lee in 2001.  The bodies were found mutilated, Slim was stabbed 33 times and Lee’s throat was slit and was stoned to death. 

Mitchell was the first Native American put on death row, and concerned tribe members tried to plead for reconsideration to reduce his punishment. As the execution date neared, the Navajo Nation tried to reach for President Trump’s help but were unsuccessful; the courts declined to intervene.  

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez shared sympathies with the entire Native community, the families of the victims and Mitchell’s family. He also encouraged the entire tribe to join him in advocating to strengthen the tribe’s self-governance. “We don’t expect federal officials to understand our strongly held traditions of clan relationship, keeping harmony in our communities and holding life sacred,” he wrote. “What we do expect, no, what we demand, is respect for our people, for our tribal nation...” 

The question for debate remains, should the Navajo nation have more say in criminal justice matters?