Zuni Man Pleads Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter in 2024 Fatal Shooting

Glendon Laate, a 49-year-old member of the Zuni Pueblo, pleaded guilty in federal court to voluntary manslaughter for the December 1, 2024 shooting death of a man identified in court documents as John Doe, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico announced March 10.

According to court documents, Laate shot and killed the victim with a homemade shotgun in what prosecutors described as "the heat of passion," a legal standard referring to a killing carried out during intense emotion provoked by circumstances rather than with premeditation. The distinction separates voluntary manslaughter from more serious homicide charges that require proof of deliberate intent.

Laate faces up to 15 years in federal prison at sentencing. No sentencing date has been scheduled.

The announcement was made by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Albuquerque Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meg Tomlinson and Michael Pahl are prosecuting the case.

The FBI's Gallup Resident Agency, part of the Albuquerque Field Office, led the investigation with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. The case falls under federal Indian Country jurisdiction, which grants the federal government authority to prosecute serious violent crimes committed on tribal land.

Earlier reporting had noted that Laate was initially charged by indictment with second-degree murder in Indian Country, an allegation carrying a potential sentence of a minimum of 10 years up to life in prison. The guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter resolved the federal case short of trial.