Two men sentenced to life in prison for double homicide on the Colville Reservation

Zachary Holt and Tezmonique Tenzsley were sentenced to life in federal prison Wednesday for murdering siblings Gale Neal and Jeremy Neal in Ferry County in October 2022.

Holt, 24, and Tenzsley, 36, were convicted in Nov. on 17 counts related to their six-week crime spree across the Nez Perce and Colville reservations, including attempted murder and assault on a federal officer.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and numerous federal agencies came together to secure some measure of justice on behalf of the victims in this case,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Barker, who served as a lead counsel on the case from the start. “This was a complicated investigation and trial, involving nearly sixty witnesses.”

According to court documents and information presented at the trial, Holt and Tenzsley, also known as “Privilege,” committed home invasions, assault and robbery in North Idaho in September 2022 before visiting the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington. Holt, a member of the Nez Perce Tribe, shot and killed the Neals in Gale Neal’s trailer during an attempted robbery, while Tenzsley stood guard.

Holt’s half-brother Curry Pinkham drove them away. As they fled Keller, Washington, toward Nespelem, Holt shot a Colville Tribal Police officer in the forearm. The reservation went into lockdown during the 24-hour manhunt that followed.

Pinkham pleaded guilty to six felony counts, including attempted murder of a federal officer, and testified at Holt and Tenzsley’s trial. Pinkham was sentenced in Jan. to 12 years in prison.

“These events were incredibly disruptive to the Colville community,” Chairman of the Colville Tribes Jarred-Michael Erickson said in a statement. “People died and their neighbors had to grapple with shock, grief, and fear as these despicable crimes unfolded. It is extremely gratifying to see justice done today as these murderers will spend the rest of their lives in prison. Criminals everywhere must understand that if they commit their crimes on the Colville Reservation, they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”