A Washington man, Steven Joseph Zacherle, has been sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison for second-degree murder in Indian Country and for making threats through interstate commerce, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington. The sentencing was announced on April 4.
Zacherle, 38, also faces five years of supervised release following his prison term and has been ordered to pay restitution to the Colville Confederated Tribes to cover the funeral expenses of Dion Boyd, the victim of the murder.
Court records show that on October 18, 2022, Zacherle had a domestic dispute with his partner near a gas station on the Colville Indian Reservation. When his partner left without him, Zacherle began sending her text messages and making phone calls, threatening to “kill” and “hurt people.”
At the same time, Dion Boyd, a respected elder of the Colville Tribe, was leaving the gas station and walking in the same direction as Zacherle. Without any provocation, Zacherle attacked Boyd, striking him in the head.
After the attack, Zacherle called his partner, bragging about knocking someone out and asking her if she wanted to see what he had done. Responding officers arrived to find Boyd lying face down, unresponsive, and bleeding from his head. He was later declared brain-dead and passed away 20 days later from a brain hematoma and skull fracture.
Acting U.S. Attorney Barker expressed sympathy for the Boyd family, stating, “My heart goes out to the Boyd family, who have suffered so much pain as a result of Mr. Zacherle’s unprovoked attack.” He also emphasized his office’s dedication to working with federal, state, local, and Tribal leaders to fully prosecute violent crimes on Tribal lands, adding, “The victims and survivors of these terrible crimes deserve nothing less.”
