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MEXICAN HAT, San Juan County — A federal grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday against a man accused of killing a woman in November on the Navajo Nation in southeastern Utah.
Timothy Lee Smith, 45, was indicted on charges of first degree murder within Indian country, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On Nov. 30, Maranny "Marena" Hatalie Holiday, 63, was killed within the Navajo Nation. Her body was found hidden under a tree. The couple first got into an argument in Mexican Water, Arizona, but the killing apparently occurred within the Utah boundaries. Investigators said the death stemmed from "an apparent land dispute."
Smith's truck was later found stuck in the San Juan County desert near Mexican Hat. He had walked about 30 miles in the desert before being found, at which time he surrendered without incident.
If convicted, Smith could be sentenced to life in prison on the murder charge, and up to 10 years for the firearms violation.
