Federal Indictments Bring New Hope for Diné Family in McKinley County

Federal prosecutors have filed indictments in the 2020 killing of 23 year old Zachariah Shorty, a member of the Navajo Nation, a development that drew prayers and public support from the Missing and Murdered Diné Relatives Task Force and members of the 25th Navajo Nation Council. The case, which has been the focus of five years of family advocacy and community organizing, was raised during a Task Force Core meeting where Shorty s mother, Vangie Randall Shorty, described the emotional toll of the long investigation.

Federal court documents allege that Austin Begay, 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, used a semiautomatic pistol to shoot and kill Shorty with malice aforethought and premeditation. Begay faces a charge of first degree murder in Indian Country and additional counts for knowingly using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and discharging that firearm, resulting in Shorty s death. Jaymes Fage, 38, is accused of aiding and abetting the killing, making materially false statements to federal investigators on December 21, 2021, and being an accessory after the fact. Joshua Watkins, 40, is charged in connection with efforts to conceal the murder. All three defendants are charged under federal law for failing to report a known federal felony.

Shorty was last seen at the Journey Inn Motel in Farmington and his body was discovered days later on July 25, 2020, near Nenahnezad, New Mexico. The Department of Justice announced the indictments on November 24, and family members and advocates marked the new filings as a critical step after years of unresolved questions.

At the Task Force meeting Randall Shorty said, "My heart is heavy. But I will continue advocating for Zach and continue being his voice. After five years of fighting for justice, I am grateful for the charges filed against those involved in my son s case." Speaker Crystalyne Curley urged stronger community supports, noting, "Families need coordinated resources to prevent further violence, resolve longstanding cases, and bring families the answers they have waited far too long to receive." Delegate Eugenia Charles Newton highlighted the emotional toll when investigations stretch across years and praised the family s perseverance.

Begay and Fage face maximum sentences that could include life in prison if convicted. Watkins faces up to three years. Begay and Fage remained in custody pending trial. The MMDR Task Force meeting also provided information on support resources and advocates available to families seeking assistance, reflecting ongoing efforts in McKinley County and across the Navajo Nation to improve coordination between communities and law enforcement and to address systemic gaps that leave families waiting for answers.