Navajo Times
Wednesday, July 15, 2026

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Teesto man convicted of murder

CHINLE

A Teesto, Arizona, man was convicted of first-degree murder, assault and kidnapping Tuesday in connection with the death of his girlfriend in September of 2017.

Giordano Jackson, 39, will be sentenced in February, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney for Arizona.

The crime was prosecuted in federal court because it was a capital crime that occurred on a Native American reservation. The case was investigated by the FBI.

The press release did not name the victim.

According to the prosecution, Jackson beat the victim to death outside his home in Teesto, then assaulted two Navajo Nation Police officers with a machete when they came to investigate.

Two months earlier, according to the press release, Jackson had dragged the victim by the hair with enough force to pull out chunks of hair.

A jury convicted him of first-degree murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury and kidnapping.

First-degree murder in Arizona is punishable by the death penalty or up to life in prison.

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About The Author

Cindy Yurth

Cindy Yurth was the Tséyi' Bureau reporter, covering the Central Agency of the Navajo Nation, until her retirement on May 31, 2021. Her other beats included agriculture and Arizona state politics. She holds a bachelor’s degree in technical journalism from Colorado State University with a cognate in geology. She has been in the news business since 1980 and with the Navajo Times since 2005, and is the author of “Exploring the Navajo Nation Chapter by Chapter.”

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