A federal jury in Denver on Monday convicted the last of four defendants in a murder that ended a drunken argument last year over American Indian heritage on the Southern Ute reservation in southwest Colorado.
A jury deliberated 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 of the group was Ute, Greany was a Cheyenne originally from Oklahoma who had been living in Ignacio for the previous five years.
A woman in the group, Tammy Parambo, was beaten unconscious that night but survived.
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 Wil liams stabbed him to death.
“Tribal and federal officials working together to ensure justice is done — that’s what it’s all about,” U.S. Attorney for Colorado Troy Eid said in a statement.
All four await sentencing. Taylor, Watts and Williams could receive 25 years in federal prison. Headman faces a mandatory life sentence.
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
