Alillia Lala Minthorn, a 25-year-old Native American woman, was reported missing by a family member on May 3, 2019, after she was last seen getting into a car in the Toppenish, Washington area. For nearly a month, her whereabouts remained unknown. The search for her came to a tragic end on May 29, 2019, when her body was discovered in a remote, closed area of the Yakama reservation, in the hills north of Brownstown. An autopsy would later confirm that she had died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
The investigation into her death revealed a chilling narrative. According to witnesses, Minthorn was picked up near a homeless encampment known as The Compound. From there, she was driven to the secluded location on the reservation where her life was taken. It was believed by at least one witness that Minthorn was killed because she had spoken to FBI agents about an incident involving a man named Jordan Everett Stevens. The case was tried in federal court because both Minthorn and the suspect were Native American and the crime occurred on tribal land.
Approximately two weeks after Minthorn was last seen, an eyewitness came forward and told the FBI that they had witnessed Stevens shoot and kill her. This witness, along with another woman, was present at the scene of the crime. Despite the witness's description of the location, the vast and remote nature of the area initially hampered the efforts of FBI agents and Yakama Nation Police to find her. On May 29, the witness was able to lead law enforcement directly to where Minthorn's body had been left.
Jordan Everett Stevens was arrested and charged with her murder. His trial began in June 2021, and after the prosecution presented its case, the jury took only about two hours to return a verdict. They found Stevens guilty of first-degree murder and of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Subsequently, Jordan Everett Stevens was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Alillia Minthorn.
