Two men convicted of murder in Colville Reservation double homicide

A Spokane jury convicted two men Monday of all charges related to the October 2022 killings of siblings Jeremy Neal and Gale Neal in Keller, Washington.

Zachary Holt, 24, and Dezmonique Tenzsley, 35, were quiet as they clasped their hands in U.S. District Court when Judge Thomas Rice read each verdict.

Holt is guilty on two counts of first-degree murder and 13 other counts, including assault and attempted murder of a federal officer. Tenzsley, 35, also known as “Privilege,” is guilty of two counts of felony murder in Indian country and 10 other charges.

Their crime spree began with assault and robbery on and near the Nez Perce Indian Reservation in Idaho and continued with the murders of the Neals during an attempted robbery for money and drugs. During a high-speed chase, Holt shot a Colville Tribal Police officer in the arm. The two men were arrested the next day on a different part of the Colville Indian Reservation.

Holt is a member of the Nez Perce Tribe.

After the jury was dismissed, Holt tilted his head back and exhaled. Tenzsley took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

Their sentencings are scheduled for Feb. 6.

“The victims in this case, Gale and Jeremy Neal, were senselessly and brutally murdered by two men on a violent crime spree,” U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref said in a statement. “Nothing can ever replace what the Neals’ family and loved ones have lost. My office is deeply committed to promoting public safety on Native American reservations and addressing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, and this verdict demonstrates that those who commit violence on Tribal lands will be held accountable.”

Jarred-Michael Erickson, chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, said in a statement, “These murders were frightening and tragic events that impacted many people in our community. My prayers go out to the family and friends of the deceased, who I know still grieve today. There is now some comfort in knowing that those who committed these acts of violence have been convicted of serious federal felony offenses.”

Sentencing for their getaway driver, Curry Pinkham, who signed a plea deal and testified against Holt and Tenzsley, has been rescheduled for Jan. 9.