Jess Allen Sixkiller, a 78-year-old Cherokee man, was a respected elder and activist in the Native American community. His life came to a violent end in the early morning hours of September 25, 2015, in what police have described as a random home invasion in Phoenix, Arizona. His wife of 58 years, who was 79 at the time and suffering from pancreatic cancer, was in another room when she heard a disturbance.
Fearing for their safety, she locked herself in a bedroom and dialed 911.
Upon their arrival, Phoenix police officers found signs of forced entry into the home. Inside, they discovered Jess Sixkiller, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound. His wife's harrowing 911 call captured the terrifying moments as she heard what she believed to be a gunshot and later found her husband. Tragically, she would pass away not long after her husband's murder.
In the immediate aftermath of the killing, the Phoenix Police Department had very little information to go on and no suspects were identified. The perpetrator or perpetrators were believed to have fled the scene before law enforcement arrived. Some in the community questioned whether Sixkiller's history as a vocal activist could have made him a target, but investigators have maintained that the evidence points to a random act of violence.
Despite the passage of time, the murder of Jess Sixkiller remains unsolved. No arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly named in connection with the case. The Phoenix Police Department has, at various times, asked for the public's assistance and a reward has been offered for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this tragic and senseless crime. The loss of such a prominent figure, who had dedicated his life to advocating for the rights of urban Indians and was the first Native American detective in the Chicago Police Department, sent shockwaves through the community, where he is remembered as a visionary and an icon.
