Shiprock man sentenced to more than 7 years in prison for stabbing brother to death
Defendant previously pleaded guilty in February 2019
- Patrick Yellowhair was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison during May 12 hearing in Albuquerque federal court.
- He was initially charged with second-degree murder on Oct. 4, 2018.
- Navajo Police Department officers arrived on scene after receiving a call in the early morning hours of Oct. 3, 2018.
FARMINGTON — A Shiprock man will serve more than seven years in a federal prison for stabbing his brother to death in the fall of 2018.
Patrick Yellowhair was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison during May 12 hearing in Albuquerque federal court, according to court documents
Yellowhair previously pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter as part of plea agreement on Feb. 15, 2019, according to The Daily Times archives.
He was initially charged with second-degree murder on Oct. 4, 2018. The defendant faced up to 15 years in prison following his plea agreement.
Yellowhair has admitted to killing his brother by stabbing him twice with a knife around or on Oct. 3, 2018, at a residence on Farm Road in Shiprock.
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Navajo Police Department officers arrived on scene after receiving a call in the early morning hours of Oct. 3, 2018.
The unidentified brother was found lying motionless on the living room floor of the residence.
The brothers got into an argument after the victim tried to convince Yellowhair to start drinking alcohol.
One witness overhead the brother state "Aw man, you stabbed me!" Yellowhair then fled the scene after changing his clothes.
He was later found hiding in some bushes outside the residence.
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The defendant admitted to stabbing his brother twice in his left shoulder and neck.
The knife was found on the floor of a bedroom, along with several large droplets of what appeared to be blood.
Yellowhair will have three years of supervised release once he completes his prison sentence.
Joshua Kellogg covers breaking news for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4627 or via email at jkellogg@daily-times.com.
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