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Officials charge Navajo man<br>with June 12 murder at GC

WILLIAMS — Nearly three months after the June 12 murder of a 30-year-old Hotevilla woman at Trailer Village, charges have been filed against a 21-year-old Navajo man.

Jeremiah Becenti, 21, serving time in the Tuba City Jail on other charges, was charged with the murder of Kim Suzette Quanimptewa, according to documents filed with the Williams Justice Court. The woman’s body was found by Becenti’s roommate on the afternoon of June 12.

Search warrant records reveal that the roommate told Coconino County Sheriff’s Office detectives that Becenti had been partying with another man and two women at around 10 p.m. the previous night at the trailer, which serves as employee housing for Amfac Parks and Resorts.

The roommate spent the night at his sister’s house and did not return until 2:30 p.m. June 12 when the woman’s body was found. A Grand Canyon National Park ranger responded to find the woman’s body under a bunk bed. The bottom bunk was covered with a bed spread in an apparent attempt to hid the body.

A medical exam determined the cause of death as stab wounds.

In the search warrants, sheriff’s office detective Tim Cornelius said that Becenti stated in an interview that he left the trailer on the night of June 11 and did not return until the afternoon of June 12. According to the report by Cornelius, Becenti said he found the woman’s body under his bed on the floor, cleaned up blood near her body, left the residence and did not notify law enforcement.

In a search of the residence, detectives found a bloody Buck knife, bloody clothing and other items with blood on them, such as a pillow and pillow case which also had cut marks. Various samples were taken and county sheriff Joe Richards said in late August that they were being tested.

Officials issued a warrant for Becenti on Sept. 7. At last report, an arraignment date had not been set.


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