Third defendant guilty for attack on Native man

Wednesday, May 7, 2008  

A jury in Farmington, New Mexico, found a 22-year-old man guilty of attacking a Native man.

Scott Thompson was found guilty of kidnapping and aggravated battery but was cleared of hate crimes charges. Prosecutors said Thompson and two other men attacked Matthew Shetima in September 2007 because Shetima is gay.

The two other men -- both from the Navajo Nation -- already pleaded guilty for their roles in the attack. Craig Yazzie, 37, and Jerry Paul, 40, accepted a deal in which hate crimes charges were dropped.

Yazzie and Paul face around two years in prison -- the same deal that was offered to Thompson, who refused. Thompson now faces up to 10 years in prison.

Get the Story:
Man convicted of attack, cleared of hate crime (The Farmington Daily Times 5/7)

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