MURDERS GIVE WAKE-UP CALL ON METH DANGERS

SHIPROCK -- Chapter officials of the two communities on the Navajo
Nation affected by the Nov. 7 triple homicide in Hogback said
citizens were "saddened."

Duane "Chili" Yazzie, Shiprock Chapter president, and Anita Hayes,
Hogback Chapter coordinator, both said the murder and recent
apprehension of three suspects, two of which hail from Shiprock, has
been a topic of discussion in their communities. ADVERTISEMENT A
fourth suspect, Michael Johnson, 26, of Shiprock, is still at large
and considered dangerous.

The FBI announced Sunday that Eugina Cowboy, 22, and Darcy Robert
Manus, 22, both of Shiprock, and Chuck Nahkai, 29, of Beclabito had
been arrested in connection with the triple homicide.

Bobby Fulton, 20, Lars Yazzie, 18, and Vicki Benally, 26, all of
Farmington, were shot multiple times in the early hours of Nov. 7
near the Hogback Chapter house.

"People are very sad and angered that those murders took place,"
Yazzie said. "I greatly commend the police work that went into
solving the crime, including that done by our own Navajo Nation Police."

According to the FBI affidavit, investigators believe methamphetamine
played a role in the shooting.

After having read media reports on the alleged role drugs played,
Yazzie and Linda Besett, superintendent of Central Consolidated
School District (CCSD), said they hoped the incident would serve as a
wake-up call for the community on the dangers of methamphetamine.

"We knew it was inevitable something violent would happen here as a
result of that. The good and the bad of the greater society
eventually makes its way into our home," Yazzie said. "It's
unfortunate and sad that those kinds of drugs and the violence
associated with that have reached us (on the Navajo Nation)."

"This is a societal problem," Besett added.

Yazzie added that current Navajo elders knew an event, such as the
murders would happen "in keeping with the prophecies made by elders
from long ago.

"That doesn't mean we should just sit back and watch it happen," he said.

Yazzie added he hoped the Shiprock community and the Navajo Nation
will use the murders as a catalyst to encourage the community to find
ways to curb meth use.

Besett agreed that the shooting should be a wake-up call for parents,
educators, government officials and those involved with the drug.

"I think we have to approach it more aggressively. I'm hoping this
will scare some of our young people," Besett said. "It could easily
happen within our schools. I have no doubt that we have students in
our system who use meth on a regular basis."

Besett added that a community-wide conversation needs to happen soon
so that the topic of meth use on the reservation, which had rarely
been discussed openly prior to the murders can be approached while it
is in the forefront.

"The timing's perfect. I think we have to get it out from under that
blanket and talk about it," Besett said. "I think we've got to start
to have some conversation."

She added that any talk about a solution should involve students
since she believes they are the ones who are most likely to
understand why their classmates use or deal meth.

"I think the students have the answers. It's going to take us all to
address and really turn the situation around. We all have to be part
of the solution," Besett stated.