Information Sought on the Identity of a Woman Killed in New Mexico in 2003

The FBI and New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator are asking for the public’s help in identifying a homeless woman who was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Dona Ana County in 2003.

The black female suffered from schizophrenia and used several aliases, including Sonja Rebecka Ihu, Gretchen Saldingo, Gretchen Sundingo, Melanie Rumba, Melanda Votz, and Tinkerbell Votz.

It is believed she spoke English as a second language and may have immigrated to the U.S. from Africa.

She spent some time in Flagstaff, Arizona in July 2001 and also may have been to Canada and the Seattle area.

Her body was found on March 26, 2003 in Dona Ana County.

She had black hair, brown eyes, weighed approximately 120 pounds, and was about 5“1’ tall. She had a slender build.

Anyone with information about this woman is asked to call FBI Special Agent Diana Parker at 505-889-1300.

Three Brandon, Miss., Men Plead Guilty for Their Roles in the Racially Motivated Assault and Murder of an African-American Man

Victim Died After Being Run Over by Truck

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that Deryl Paul Dedmon, 19, John Aaron Rice, 19, and Dylan Wade Butler, 20, all from Brandon, Miss., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Jackson to federal hate crime charges in connection with an assault culminating in the death of James Craig Anderson, an African-American man, in the summer of 2011.    

 Dedmon, Rice and Butler were each charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, for their roles in the death-resulting assault of Anderson, 47, of Jackson, Miss.  Dedmon, Rice and Butler entered guilty pleas to both counts.  The maximum penalty for these charges is life in prison and a $250,000 fine.

“We hope that today’s guilty pleas provide some closure to the victim’s family and to the grievously wounded community that has mourned Mr. Anderson’s death,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.  “Today’s historic pleas mark the first time that the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act has been used in a case where the defendants’ actions resulted in a victim’s death.  The Department of Justice will vigorously pursue those who commit racially motivated assaults and will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that those who commit such acts are brought to justice.  And I note that our investigation in this matter is ongoing.”

“The actions of these defendants who have pled guilty do not represent the values of Mississippi in 2012,” said John Dowdy Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi.  “The swift and certain investigation by the Jackson Police Department and especially the FBI shows that crimes committed because of a person’s race will not be tolerated.  Justice will be color-blind, and hopefully this pursuit of justice in Mr. Anderson's death will help the family in their healing process.”

“ Hate itself is not a crime, and the FBI is mindful of protecting freedom of speech and other civil liberties. The investigation into the murder of James Craig Anderson was not simply an effort to identify who was responsible, it was incumbent upon the FBI to uncover and prove the motivation behind the crime,” said Dan McMullen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI.  “The answer we discovered, put simply, was that James Craig Anderson was killed because of the color of his skin.  Hate crimes have a devastating impact on families and communities, and every sector of our community has a role to play in helping to ensure that no person is targeted for violence because of who they are, what they look like or what they believe.”

Today in court, Dedmon, Rice and Butler admitted that beginning in the spring of 2011, they and others conspired with one another to harass and assault African-Americans in and around west Jackson. On numerous occasions, the co-conspirators used dangerous weapons, including beer bottles, sling shots and motor vehicles, to cause, and attempt to cause, bodily injury to African-Americans.  They would specifically target African-Americans they believed to be homeless or under the influence of alcohol because they believed that such individuals would be less likely to report an assault.  The co-conspirators would often boast about these racially motivated assaults.   

 The defendants further admitted that on June 25, 2011, they and others attended a birthday party in Puckett, Miss., for a mutual friend.  During the party, the defendants and others talked about going to Jackson to harass and assault African-Americans.  By the early morning hours of June 26, 2011, the defendants and four other co-conspirators agreed to carry out their plan to find, harass and assault African-Americans. 

 At around 4:15 a.m., Rice, Butler and two co-conspirators drove to west Jackson in a white Jeep with the understanding that Dedmon and two other co-conspirators would join them a short time later.  Rice, Butler and the other two occupants of the Jeep then drove around west Jackson and threw beer bottles from the moving vehicle at African-American pedestrians they encountered.  At approximately 5:00 a.m., Rice, Butler and the other two occupants of the Jeep spotted Anderson in a motel parking lot off Ellis Avenue.  The occupants of the Jeep decided that Anderson would be a good target for an assault because he was African-American and appeared to be intoxicated.  Rice and another co-conspirator decided to get out of the Jeep to distract Anderson while they waited for Dedmon and the other co-conspirators to arrive. 

 After Dedmon and the other two co-conspirators arrived in Dedmon’s Ford F250 truck, Dedmon and Rice physically assaulted Anderson.  Rice first punched Anderson in the face with sufficient force to knock Anderson to the ground, and then Dedmon punched Anderson in the face multiple times while he was on the ground.  After the assault, Rice, Butler and two co-conspirators left the motel parking lot in the Jeep.  As they left, one of the occupants of the Jeep yelled, “White Power!”  Prior to getting back into his truck, Dedmon responded by also yelling “White Power!” Once back in his truck, Dedmon deliberately used his truck to run over Anderson, causing injuries which resulted in Anderson’s death.   

 After Anderson’s death, a number of the co-conspirators including Rice and Butler agreed to, and did, give false statements to law enforcement officials about the nature of their interactions with Anderson. 

 These guilty pleas were the result of a cooperative effort among the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi and the Hinds County, Miss., District Attorney’s Office.  This case was investigated by the Jackson Division of the FBI and the Jackson Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sheldon L. Beer and Deputy Chief Paige M. Fitzgerald of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and Glenda R. Haynes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.

Firefighter Fatality

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality:

Name: Donald L. Jones

Rank: Captain

Age: 56

Gender: Male

Status: Career

Years of Service: 31

Date of Incident: 03/19/2012

Time of Incident: 2230hrs

Date of Death: 03/19/2012

Fire Department: Jacksonville Fire Department

Address: 900 N Redmond RD, Jacksonville, AR 72076-3623

Fire Department Chief: John Vanderhoof

Incident Description: Captain Jones responded with fire and police to a single-vehicle accident that involved a damaged gas main. While working to clear the scene of the accident, a second motor vehicle reportedly accelerated and veered off of the road striking two firefighters and a police officer.  Captain Jones was killed upon impact. The police officer and second firefighter were both transported by air to the hospital and are reported to be in critical but stable condition. The driver of the second vehicle has been charged with 2nd degree murder and two counts of criminal intent to commit 2nd degree murder given that, according to witnesses, this person allegedly did not try to stop.

Incident Location: 8400 block of Highway 161 South, Jacksonville, AR

Funeral Arrangements: Pending

Tribute is being paid to Captain Donald L. Jones at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fireservice/fatalities/

To date, 21 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2012. Year-to-date monthly and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online @ http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fireservice/fatalities/statistics/ff_stats.shtm

FBI Offers $5,000 Reward in Montana Hit-and-Run Investigation

FBI Special Agent in Charge (SAC) David J. Johnson is announcing a $5,000 reward for the identification, arrest, and conviction of the person responsible for the death of 29-year old Eugene Jesse Stevens. Mr. Stevens was killed at approximately 1:45 a.m. on September 25, 2011, while walking along Highway 2 on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. “Since the incident, the FBI and our law enforcement partners have been working around the clock on this investigation. By offering a monetary reward, I am hopeful someone will come forward with information that will help us solve this case,” said SAC Johnson.

According to the investigation, Mr. Stevens left his vehicle and was walking westbound along Highway 2 between Browning and East Glacier when he was hit by a vehicle. The driver failed to stop. It appears the vehicle that hit Mr. Stevens was also heading westbound on Highway 2. Investigators continue to review evidence and field tips from the public. However, no arrests have been made in this case. Anyone who has information about the fatal incident is asked to contact the FBI in Salt Lake City at (801) 579-1400, or the FBI office in Shelby, Montana at (406) 424-8411.

The FBI would like to thank the media for continuing to publicize this case, members of the public who have contacted the FBI with information, and our law enforcement partners, including the Glacier County Sheriff’s Office, Blackfeet Tribal Police, and the Montana Highway Patrol.