A San Juan County man has been indicted for second-degree murder following a fatal shooting incident in San Juan County, Utah. Chevel Cottonwood, 34, was charged by complaint on June 11, 2025, and is currently detained as ordered by a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
Court documents reveal that on June 10, 2025, officers from the Navajo Police Department responded to a report of gunfire near Hovenweep north of Aneth, Utah. Upon arriving at the scene within the Navajo Nation, officers spoke with a woman who claimed to have heard gunshots from inside the residence’s living room. She recounted hearing an argument between Cottonwood and the victim before witnessing another gunshot and seeing a flash.
Officers found the victim deceased with a gunshot wound and an empty shell casing nearby. Cottonwood was discovered hiding in bushes close to the scene with ammunition and a loaded magazine. A search led to the seizure of a 9mm pistol and two shell casings; bullet holes were also noted in the house’s roof.
Cottonwood faces charges of second-degree murder while within Indian Country and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a restricted person. His initial court appearance is scheduled for June 26, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City.
The announcement came from Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah. The investigation is being conducted by both the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations and FBI Salt Lake City’s Monticello Resident Agency.
Assistant United States Attorneys Sam Pead and Tanner Zumwalt are handling prosecution duties for this case.
This case forms part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and safeguarding communities against violent crime perpetrators. This operation consolidates resources from Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
It should be noted that an indictment serves merely as an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.
