The Navajo Nation Police Department is seeking the public’s help in finding a missing person and identifying a deceased man.
Marie Gene Benally, 54, was last seen Nov. 10 at Chilchinbeto Estates in Chilchinbeto, Arizona, southeast of Kayenta. She also goes by the name “Weezie” and has multiple tattoos that are visible and multiple rings on her fingers. She wore a brown Carhartt pullover and blue jeans.
People who have seen Benally or have information about her whereabouts are asked to call the Navajo Police Department, Kayenta District, at 928-697-5600. Her case has been entered into the National Crime Information Center.
The Navajo Department of Criminal Investigation also seeks information to help identify the remains of a man found in a rural area near Red Mesa, in northern Arizona, on March 20.
The man individual did not have identification and was found wearing a light-colored shirt, belt, light-colored cargo-style pants and black Brahma brand slip- and oil-resistant boots.
People who might know of the man are asked to call the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigation at 505-368-1300 or the Navajo Police Department at 505-368-1350/1351, and to refer to log No. 02-21-011891
American Indian and Alaska Native people are at a disproportionate risk of experiencing violence, and they make up a significant portion of cases of missing and murdered people, according to a 2016 study by the National Institute of Justice.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the murder rate of women on reservations is 10 times higher than the national average, and the No. 3 cause of death for Native women.
The justice study also found that American Indian and Alaska Native men also have high victimization rates.
More than 80% of American Indian and Alaska Native men have experienced violence in their lifetime, according to National Institute of Justice. And, overall, more than 1.4 million American Indian and Alaska Native men have experienced violence.
In April, U.S. Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland announced the formation of the Missing and Murdered Unit within the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Justice Services.
“Violence against Indigenous peoples is a crisis that has been underfunded for decades. Far too often, murders and missing persons cases in Indian Country go unsolved and unaddressed, leaving families and communities devastated,” said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in a news release. “The new MMU unit will provide the resources and leadership to prioritize these cases and coordinate resources to hold people accountable, keep our communities safe and provide closure for families.”
About 1,500 American Indian and Alaska Native missing people have been entered into the National Crime Information Center throughout the U.S., and about 2,700 cases of murder and non-negligent homicide offenses have been reported to the federal government’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
For more information on missing Indigenous people go to www.bia.gov/service/mmu.
