In the quiet community of Dennehotso, Arizona, a devastating series of events unfolded within the Yazzie family home on September 1, 1996. A 15-year-old female named Veneashia Yazzie, along with her three younger sisters, Jazann, 13; Cara, 8; and Nathalie, 5, were fatally shot. Their brother, 11-year-old Rhyan, was seriously injured in the attack but managed to survive by pretending to be deceased.
The children's mother was away visiting relatives at the time of the incident.
The girls' father, Norman Dean Yazzie, 33, was identified as the perpetrator. Prior to the shootings, he had been drinking alcohol. His parents, who lived nearby, were alerted to trouble when they saw two vehicles on fire near their son's trailer. Upon investigating the smoke, they discovered their son holding a. 22-caliber rifle and found the bodies of their grandchildren inside the trailer, which had a strong smell of gasoline. They were able to restrain him, but he escaped before law enforcement arrived.
The following morning, authorities apprehended Norman Dean Yazzie, who was found hiding between two mattresses in a nearby traditional Navajo dwelling. He was armed with a knife but was taken into custody without further violence. An investigation revealed a note written by Yazzie expressing anger over his wife's infidelity and a recent suicide attempt she had made. He reportedly told investigators he 'couldn't handle the idea of not having a family.'
In December of 1996, Norman Dean Yazzie was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder and other felony charges. On March 11, 1997, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 85 years. Prosecutors were unable to seek the death penalty as it is not permitted by the Navajo Nation.
