Colville Reservation Double Murder Suspects Found Guilty

Two suspects in a double murder on the Colville Indian Reservation have been deemed guilty.

The jury rendered its verdict on Monday in Spokane. The pair were found guilty "on all seventeen counts presented at trial, including Felony Murder in Indian Country, Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer, Assault of a Federal Officer, Attempted Robbery in Indian Country, Robbery Affecting Commerce, as well as several firearm offenses. Holt also was convicted of First-Degree Murder in Indian Country and Murder Resulting from Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence."

Zachary Holt, 24, and Dezmonique Tenzsley, 35, are accused of embarking on an unconscionable six-week crime spree that spanned the region. This litany of horrors included home invasions, robberies and assaults on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation and in Latah County. The trial, presided over by Judge Thomas O. Rice, began earlier in the month, with sentencing set for February 2025.

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The suspects' actions culminated in the October 2022 murders of Gale and Jeremy Neal during a failed robbery in Keller. Holt and Tenzsley fatally shot the Neals inside their trailer after wrecking their car nearby. They then fled the scene, firing at law enforcement during their escape, injuring a tribal police officer.

U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref emphasized the verdict's significance in promoting public safety on Native American reservations and addressing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. The case was investigated by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service, and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington.