As the United States shines a spotlight on missing and dead people in indigenous communities, prosecutors are working to solve their cases.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) It was a frigid winter morning when authorities found a Native American man dead on a remote gravel road in western New Mexico. He was lying on his side with only one sock on, his clothes removed and his shoes thrown into the snow.

There were traces of blood on both sides of his body and it appeared that he had been hit in the head.

Investigators retraced the man's steps, collecting security camera footage that showed him walking near a convenience store miles from Gallup, an economic center in an otherwise rural area bordered on one side by the nation Navajo and on the other by Zuni Pueblo.

Court records said the footage and cellphone records showed the victim, a Navajo man identified only as John Doe, who was on a collision course with the man who would ultimately be charged with killing him.

A grand jury indicted a Zuni Pueblo man on second-degree murder charges that occurred Jan. 18, and prosecutors say more charges are likely because he is the prime suspect in a series of crimes targeting Native American men in Gallup. Zuni and Albuquerque. Investigators discovered several wallets, cell phones and clothing belonging to other men during a search of his vehicle and two residences.

As people gathered across the country Sunday to highlight the disturbing number of disappearances and murders in Indian Country, officials say the New Mexico case represents the kind of work the U.S. Department of Defense is facing. Justice had aspired when creating its Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Program. last summer.

Task forces comprised of assistant U.S. attorneys and coordinators were assigned to focus on MMIP cases. Their goal: to improve communication and coordination among federal, tribal, state and local jurisdictions in hopes of closing the gaps that have made solving violent crimes in Indian Country a generational challenge.

Some of the new federal prosecutors were participating in MMIP Awareness Day events. From the Arizona state capital to a cultural center in Albuquerque and the Qualla border in North Carolina, marches, symposia, art exhibits and candlelight vigils were planned for May 5, on the birthday of Hanna Harris, who was just 21 when she was killed. on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana in 2013.

It was an emotional day in Albuquerque, where family members and advocates participated in a prayer walk. They chanted: What do we want? Answers! What do we want? Justice! There were tears and long hugs as they shared their stories and frustrations. They spoke about the feeling of forgetting and the lack of resources in indigenous communities.

Geraldine Toya of Jemez Pueblo walked with other family members to raise awareness of the death of her daughter Shawna Toya in 2021. She said she and her husband are artists who make pottery and they don Would never have imagined that they would end up becoming investigators in an effort to figure out what was going on. happened to their daughter.

Our journey has been difficult, but you know what, we are going to make this journey a success for all of our people who are here in this same thing that is struggling right now, she said, pledging to support other families through their grief as they seek justice.

Alex Uballez, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico, told The Associated Press on Friday that the outreach program is starting to bear fruit.

Providing these bridges between these agencies is critical to seeing trends that affect all of our communities, Uballez said. None of the boundaries we have drawn prevent impacts to tribal communities, interstate, across the country, and across international borders.

Assistant United States Attorney Eliot Neal oversees MMIP cases for a region covering New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada.

Having law enforcement and lawyers talking to each other can help prevent other crimes that are often precursors to deadly violence. Other pieces of the puzzle include building relationships with Native American communities and making the justice system more accessible to the public, Neal said.

Part of Neal's job involves reviewing old cases: tedious work that can involve tracking down witnesses and resubmitting evidence for testing.

We're trying to flip the script a little bit and give these cases the time and attention they deserve, he said, adding that communicating with family members about the process is an element essential for lawyers and MMIP coordinators.

Over the past year, the DOJ also awarded $268 million in grants to tribal justice systems to address child abuse cases, combat domestic and sexual violence, and strengthen victim services.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bree Black Horse was dressed in red as she was sworn in Thursday at a ceremony in Yakima, Washington. This color stands for awareness of the disproportionate number of Indigenous people who are victims of violence.

She prosecutes MMIP cases in a five-state region across California and the Pacific Northwest to Montana. Her caseload is in the double digits, and she's working with advocacy groups to identify more cold cases and open lines of communication with law enforcement.

An enrolled member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and an attorney for more than a decade, Black Horse said having 10 U.S. attorneys and deputy coordinators focusing solely on MMIP cases is unprecedented.

It's an issue that has affected not only my community but also my friends and family, she said. I see this as a way to help ensure that our future generations, our young people, don't face the same types of disparities and this same type of trauma.

In New Mexico, Uballez acknowledged that the federal government was moving slowly and credited tribal communities for raising their voices, showing up regularly to protest and pressuring politicians to improve public safety in tribal communities.

Still, he and Neal said it would take a paradigm shift to undo the public perception that nothing is being done.

The man charged in the New Mexico case, Labar Tsethlikai, appeared in court Wednesday and pleaded not guilty as he stood shackled next to his public defender. A victim advocate from Uballez's office was also present, sitting with the victims' family members.

Tsethlikai's lawyer argued that no evidence has yet been presented linking his client to the alleged crimes outlined in court documents. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew McGinley argued that no release conditions would ensure the safety of the community, pointing to cellphone data and DNA evidence showing Tsethlikai preyed on homeless people or needing alcohol to satisfy sexual desires.

Tsethlikai will remain in custody awaiting trial while authorities continue their investigation. Court documents list at least 10 other victims as well as five newly identified potential victims. McGinley said prosecutors wanted to focus on a few cases to get him off the streets and prevent more violence.

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