Two convicted in Keller double murder

Two men whose crime spree ended with murders on the Colville Reservation in 2022 were convicted Monday in federal court of those and other crimes, including shooting a Colville Tribal Police sergeant.

Zachary L. Holt, 24, and Dezmonique D. Tenzsley (a/k/a “Privilege”), age 35, were found guilty on all 17 counts presented at trial, including Felony Murder in Indian Country, Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer, Assault of a Federal Officer, Attempted Robbery in Indian Country, Robbery Affecting Commerce, as well as several firearm offenses, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington said in a release Monday. Holt also was convicted of First-Degree Murder in Indian Country and Murder Resulting from Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.

Federal prosecutors presented evidence the two had begun their “six-week crime spree” in September in North Idaho, where they invaded homes and committed robbery, taking firearms.

They were headed toward Keller on Oct. 21 when Holt swerved to miss a school bus on a dirt road and rolled the car into a ditch. Holt’s brother, Curry Pinkham, pulled up moments later to give the two a ride. First, they transferred several guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition from the crashed car into the red 2007 Toyota Camry Pinkham was driving, including what would become the murder weapon.

Holt, upset about his wrecked car, demanded Pinkham take them somewhere they could rob somebody. Pinkham agreed to take them to the residence of a drug dealer in Keller.

They did not enter the purported drug dealer’s home, but about a half hour later, Holt instead shot and killed two people living in a trailer behind it.

“Gale and Jeremy Neal were shot twice inside their trailer during a failed robbery,” the US Attorney’s Office reported in the release. “Eyewitnesses described three armed men wearing masks, who arrived at the trailer in a red sedan.” Surveillance video shows the car arriving at 4:19 p.m. and leaving 2 minutes, 10 seconds later.

Jeremy Neal answered the door, Holt demanded money and property and in moments shot him twice, killing him. Gale Neal was on the couch. He killed her, also with two shots, the release states.

“Throughout, Tenzsley was standing guard, armed with a shotgun and his face covered by a mask,” the release states.

“After the robbery and murder, and while law enforcement was responding to the scene, Tenzsley, Holt, and Pinkham drove towards Nespelem,” it says. “As Pinkham was driving the getaway car, Holt fired several additional shots — this time at law enforcement, who was attempting stop the red Camry.” The tribal police sergeant was hit in the forearm, and several shots hit his car.

A second tribal officer also tried to stop them. Holt opened fire at him, too, as Tenzley reloaded the firearm magazines.

When the three arrived in the Nespelem area, they tried to hide the red sedan under a tarp and fled on foot, also hiding their firearms and ammo throughout the area.

The overnight hunt for the three had the community locked down and residents asked to remain in their homes.

Holt got into a fist fight with a Nespelem man who had called police shortly before Holt’s arrest, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“These murders were frightening and tragic events that impacted many people in our community,” said the chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Jarred-Michael Erickson. “My prayers go out to the family and friends of the deceased, who I know still grieve today. There is now some comfort in knowing that those who committed these acts of violence have been convicted of serious federal felony offenses.” Investigating the murders of the Neals, tribal and federal law enforcement discovered Holt’s and Tenzley’s earlier crimes: a Sept. 3 robbery of a man in his trailer in Latah County, Idaho, where they exchanged gunfire with the victim; the Oct. 12 armed invasion of two homes in Lapwai on the Nez Perce reservation, where they were looking for someone to rob and also shot a dog in the face (it lived).

They were using the same guns used to kill the Neals and shoot at law enforcement officers near Keller.

United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice presided over the trial for Holt and Tenzsley, which began Nov.18. Sentencing is set for Feb. 6, 2025, in Spokane. 

“As much as any case I have prosecuted, this one demonstrates the incredible tragedy of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Crisis,” stated First Assistant United States Attorney Richard Barker, who led the prosecution team. “Our hearts go out to the Neal Family, whose loved ones were taken away from them far too soon. Unfortunately, violence on our Native American Reservations occurs far too often and has resulted in generational trauma that continues to this day.”

The case was investigated by the Colville Tribal Police Department, the FBI, the FBI’s Salish Safe Trails Task Force, Latah County Sheriff’s Office, Nez Perce Tribal Police Department, Idaho State Patrol, Spokane Tribal Police Department, Kalispel Tribal Police Department, Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Okanogan Sheriff’s Office, Ephrata Police Department, Soap Lake Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol, the ATF, the United States Marshals Service, and the Washington State Patrol. The case was prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Barker and Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Ellis.  Echo D. Fatsis, a contract Law Clerk with the United States Attorney’s Office, provided critical support during the trial.