Staff Reports
ALBUQUERQUE — A Navajo Nation man is facing a federal murder charge for killing his father with a baseball bat.
According to court documents, between Dec. 28, 2024, and Jan. 14, 2025, David Barney, 32, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, killed his father by hitting him in the head with a baseball bat. After hitting his father, Barney wrapped him in blankets, placed him in a wheelbarrow, and rolled him to a nearby location, where he left his body until it was discovered by the victim’s family Feb. 1, 2025.
Barney was charged with second-degree murder June 29. He will remain in federal custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled as of July 1. If convicted of this charge, Barney faces up to life in prison.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.
