A Fort Duchesne man was sentenced on Wednesday in federal court. 28-year-old Brandon Redfoot was sentenced to 45 years imprisonment followed by 60 months of supervised release for the murder of 24-year-old Julio Rodriguez on June 7th, 2018 outside a residence east of Randlett. “Mr. Redfoot’s senseless act of violence put many lives at risk and took the life of one young man,” says United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. Evidence presented at trial showed Redfoot was in a physical altercation with the victim outside a store in Randlett, Utah. After the fight, and after the two men parted ways in separate vehicles, Redfoot told the driver of the vehicle he was in to turn around and drive back in the direction the victim had traveled. After the driver refused, Redfoot pulled out a firearm, later identified as a KelTec Sub-2000 9mm folding rifle and threatened the driver to turn around by firing the gun inside the vehicle. The driver complied, and ultimately arrived outside a residence where Redfoot spotted the victim. Redfoot fired at least twenty-nine shots in the direction of the victim and others, ultimately hitting the victim in the back of the head and killing him. “Redfoot acted with no regard for the victim’s life and recklessly endangered other innocent lives that day,” shares Special Agent Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “We are committed to working with our Tribal partners to investigate the most egregious crimes in our Native American communities and help keep them safe.” The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the FBI Vernal Resident Agency and investigations from the Ute Tribe. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Redfoot is also ordered to pay nearly $6,000 dollars in restitution.
