Swimmer charged with first degree murder

by Dec 6, 2018Front Page, NEWS ka-no-he-da

 

ASHEVILLE – United  States  Attorney Andrew  Murray announced on Thursday, Dec. 6 that  a federal grand jury sitting in Asheville has charged Shane McKinley Swimmer, 18, of Cherokee, with first degree murder in Indian Country.  

John  A.  Strong,  Special  Agent  in  Charge  of  the  Federal  Bureau  of  Investigation  (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Doug Pheasant, of the Cherokee Indian Police Department, joined U.S. Attorney Murray in making Thursday’s announcement.

The charging document alleges that on Nov. 10, in Indian Country, Swimmer, who is an Indian, did unlawfully kill another human being, identified in the criminal indictment as “C.W.”

The  indictment further alleges  that Swimmer  killed  C.W. willfully,  deliberately, maliciously and with premeditation.

Swimmer is currently in federal custody.  If convicted of first-degree murder, Swimmer faces mandatory life in prison. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

In making Thursday’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the FBI and the Cherokee Indian Police Department for their investigation of the case.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Pritchard and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Eason 

of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville are in charge of the prosecution.

– Department of Justice release