Tuba City Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison for Second Degree Murder

     PHOENIX – This week, Eric Mychal Iron, 33, of Tuba City, Ariz., a member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 228 months in prison, followed by a term of five years of supervised release.  Iron had previously pleaded guilty to second degree murder. 

     On Dec. 4, 2016, while recklessly driving at approximately two times the posted speed limit, Iron failed to stop for a stop sign and the collision caused the four victims in the other vehicle to be ejected, resulting in fatal injuries to two of them, including a minor.  The two other victims suffered serious bodily injuries due to the crash.  Blood taken from Iron almost two hours after the accident was found to have a blood alcohol content of .308%, close to four times the legal limit. Iron had previously been convicted in tribal court of crimes related to intoxication, including driving under the influence. The victims were/are members of the Navajo Nation and the murder happened on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Navajo Nation Department of Law Enforcement, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.  The prosecution was handled by Christina J. Reid-Moore, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.