Shiprock Man Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder; Deal Calls for 15 Years
Ryan Flute, 46, admitted repeatedly pushing a woman during an argument while they drank in May 2024. She hit her head on furniture and died six days later.
A Shiprock, New Mexico, man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of a woman who hit her head on furniture after he pushed her repeatedly during an argument in May 2024.
Ryan Flute, 46, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, agreed to a 15-year prison sentence under his plea agreement, subject to the court’s approval, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico said on Oct. 23, 2026. He also faces up to five years of supervised release after prison. The office did not name the woman.
According to court documents, Flute and the woman were drinking at a home in Shiprock on May 21, 2024, when an argument turned violent. Flute pushed her again and again, and she fell backward and struck her head on a piece of furniture. He helped her up, and they went to bed.
The next morning, Flute found her unresponsive and called for help. She was taken to a hospital, never regained consciousness and died on May 27, 2024. An autopsy found she died of blunt-force injuries, mainly to the head, and also had injuries to her neck, torso, arms and legs, prosecutors said.
What federal law says
The case was prosecuted in federal court. Under the Major Crimes Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1153, an Indian who commits murder or certain other serious offenses “within the Indian country” is “subject to the same law and penalties” as other people charged with those crimes in areas under exclusive federal jurisdiction.
Federal law sets the range for second-degree murder at “any term of years or for life,” according to 18 U.S.C. § 1111. The agreed 15 years falls inside that range, and there is no parole in the federal system, the office noted.
The FBI’s Farmington Resident Agency investigated with help from the Navajo Police Department, the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations and the Farmington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case. The office did not announce a sentencing date.
