SPOKANE, Wash. — Two men were sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for the 2022 murder of a man and woman on the Colville Indian Reservation.
According to U.S Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Washington, Zachary L. Holt, 24, and Dezmonique D. Tenzsley, 36, were involved in a six-week crime spree starting in September 2022, which included home invasions, robbery, and the October 20 murders of Gale and Jeremy Neal in Keller, Washington during a failed robbery.
The convictions followed a jury trial in November 2024. Holt was also sentenced for first-degree murder and murder during a crime of violence.
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Holt and Tenzsley, armed and masked, shot the victims in their trailer. Holt later fired shots at and injured a tribal officer during a police chase.
Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Barker praised the collaborative efforts of federal, state and tribal law enforcement in securing justice for the victims.
“This was a complicated investigation,” he said.
The Colville Tribe’s Chairman Jarred Michael Erickson expressed relief that the perpetrators would spend the rest of their lives in prison, acknowledging the bravery of the Colville Tribal Police.
The case was investigated by several agencies, including the Colville Tribal Police, the FBI, and local law enforcement.
