Navajo Nation Man Charged with Murder

ALBUQUERQUE - A Navajo Nation man is facing a federal murder charge for killing his father with a baseball bat.

According to court documents, between December 28, 2024, and January 14, 2025, David Barney, 32, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, killed John Doe by hitting him in the head with a baseball bat. After hitting Doe, Barney wrapped Doe in blankets, placed him in a wheelbarrow, and rolled him to a nearby location, where he left Doe's body until it was discovered by Doe's family on February 1, 2025.

Barney is charged with second-degree murder. He will remain in federal custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of this charge, Barney faces up to life in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.

An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.