Statements by Department of Justice, Navajo Nation on the Execution of Lezmond Mitchell

Statement by Department of Justice Spokesperson Kerri Kupec on the Execution of Lezmond Mitchell

Department of Justice Spokesperson Kerri Kupec has issued the following statement from DOJ

“Today, Lezmond Mitchell was executed at U.S. Penitentiary Terre Haute in accordance with the capital sentence imposed by the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona in 2003.  Mitchell was pronounced dead at 6:29 EDT by the Vigo County Coroner.

In October 2001, Mitchell murdered Alyce Slim, a 63-year-old grandmother, and her nine-year-old granddaughter as part of a carjacking in Arizona.  After getting a ride from Slim in her pickup truck, Mitchell and an accomplice stabbed her 33 times and threw her body into the backseat beside her granddaughter.  Mitchell then drove the truck deep into the mountains, ordered the girl out of the truck “to lay down and die,” slit her throat twice, and crushed her head with rocks.  Mitchell and his accomplice proceeded to dismember and bury the victims’ bodies and burn their clothes.  He later confessed to the murders and led law enforcement to the victims’ remains.  In May 2003, a federal jury found Mitchell guilty of numerous federal crimes — including first-degree murder, felony murder, and carjacking resulting in death — and recommended a sentence of death, which the district court imposed.  His convictions and sentence were affirmed on appeal, and his claims for collateral relief were denied by every court that considered them.

Nearly 19 years after Lezmond Mitchell brutally ended the lives of two people, destroying the lives of many others, justice finally has been served.  In attendance at the execution this evening were representatives of the victims’ families as well as the father of the nine-year-old girl that Mitchell murdered.  Those family members, who are members of the Navajo Nation, have stated on the record that they supported implementation of the sentence returned by the jury and imposed by the court for Mitchell’s horrific federal crimes.”

29 July

Execution Rescheduled for Federal Inmate Convicted of Brutally Murdering a Grandmother and her Nine-Year-Old Granddaughter 

Attorney General William P. Barr today directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons to reschedule the execution of Lezmond Mitchell, a federal death-row inmate who was convicted more than 17 years ago of the brutal murders of a grandmother and her nine-year-old granddaughter.  The execution, initially scheduled for last December, is now scheduled to occur on August 26, 2020, at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Mitchell’s execution was initially scheduled for December 2019, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit entered a stay of execution while it resolved an additional appeal by Mitchell.  The court of appeals unanimously rejected Mitchell’s claim in April 2020 and denied his request for full-court rehearing earlier this month.  When the Ninth Circuit stay formally concludes, no legal impediments will bar the execution, and it can occur without further delay.

the Navajo Nation Issued a Statement:

THE NAVAJO NATION
JONATHAN NEZ | PRESIDENT MYRON LIZER | VICE PRESIDENT
STATEMENT ON THE EXECUTION OF LEZMOND CHARLES MITCHELL
This is a sad day for family members, relatives, and friends of two Navajo families and for the Navajo Nation as a whole. This evening, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons in Terre Haute, Indiana, carried out the death penalty sentence for Lezmond Charles Mitchell. We offer a prayer for strength and comfort for the Slim family for the loss of two precious lives, their grandmother and granddaughter. To carry this loss for the past 19 years is difficult and we trust they can now turn to healing their family. A prayer also for the Mitchell family who endured the consequences of their son’s actions and now have lost their son. We wish there could have been a time for restoring peace and harmony for all involved in this tragic event, but we will not get that chance.
The Navajo Nation’s position, from the beginning, was to advocate for the sovereign status of the Nation. Our decision not to accept the death penalty in federal cases remains a Navajo decision, but in this instance the federal government ignored the Navajo Nation. This is an affront to our Nation because we should be the ones to decide these matters. The federal government charged a crime that was added in 1994 to the Federal Death Penalty Act and blindsided the Navajo Nation by using this to sidestep the Navajo Nation’s position. We have a court system that is fair and just for all persons. We have laws that protect our People. We have brave men and women on our police force to watch over us. Crimes committed on the Navajo Nation are for us to decide. Our judicial and public safety system considers restorative justice in court cases as based on our custom and traditions of hozho’ and k’e. Federal officials may not understand our family connections and our strength in keeping harmony. So, we invite them to meet with us and find an answer to address this important death penalty matter.
The Navajo Nation asked for clemency in Mr. Mitchell’s case in changing his sentence to life in prison without possibility of release. This is the same request supported by U.S. Senators, U.S. House Representatives, Tribal Nations, and tribal organization. But our collective voice was ignored. We don’t expect federal officials to understand our strongly held traditions of clan relationship, keeping harmony in our communities, and holding life sacred. What we do expect, no, what we demand, is respect for our People, for our Tribal Nation, and we will not be pushed aside any longer.
We thank the many Tribal Nations who supported the Navajo Nation’s stand on sovereignty, and we appreciate the Tribal organization’s letters advocating for tribal sovereignty. We now call on all Tribal Nations and Tribal organizations to begin a dialogue on a respect for tribal sovereignty, respect for all Tribal Nation, and respect for Native Americans. We are moving forward in this fight and we ask all to join us.
NAVAJO NATION OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT