A federal jury in Denver on Monday convicted the last of four defendants in a murder that ended a drunken argument over native American heritage last year on the Southern Ute reservation in southwest Colorado.
A jury deliberating five hours before finding Isaac Headman, 26, of Ignacio guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping and other charges in the death of 31-year-old Clifton Joseph Greany in August 2007.
According to testimony, a fight broke out over cultural differences between tribes after a night of heavy drinking.
While most the group was Ute, Greany was a Cheyenne originally from Oklahoma, who had been living in Ignacio the previous five years.
Another woman in the group, Tammy Parambo, was beaten unconscious that night, but survived the attack.
Headman, Johnita Taylor, 31, April Watts, 20,and Monica Williams, 23, were each charged with premeditated murder.
According to court records, the four beat Greany and cut off his long hair, an insult to his culture. He was put in the trunk of a car and driven to a remote location on the reservation. Headman, Watts and Williams stabbed him to death.
“Tribal and federal officials working together to ensure justice is done,” U.S. Attorney Troy Eid said in a statement. “That’s what it’s all about.”
All four await sentencing. Taylor, Watts and Williams could receive 25 years in federal prison. Headman faces a mandatory life sentence.
Joey Bunch: jbunch@denverpost.com or 303-954-1174
