Thelma Rios, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, pleaded guilty for her role in the 1975 kidnapping and murder of American Indian Movement activist Anna Mae Pictou Aquash.

Rios admitted that she allowed AIM members to bring Aquash to her apartment in Rapid City, off the reservation. She said she was aware that Aquash was likely going to be murdered.

Rios was sentenced to five years in prison but as part of her plea deal, she won't serve any time beyond what she already served. She will remain on probation for five years.

Rios was due to go to trial November 19. She is expected to testify against her co-defendant, John Graham, a Native man from Canada.

Rios and Graham were charged in state court after a case against Graham fell apart in federal court. Graham is not a member of a federally recognized U.S. tribe so he could not be charged under federal laws that require a defendant to be "Indian."

Get the Story:
Rios pleads guilty to accessory in Aquash murder, given suspended sentence (The Rapid City Journal 11/9)

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