Arizona murderer gets life sentence after killing man 16 days after release
An Arizona murderer, Clifton Nez Hamalowa, was sentenced to life plus 10 years in prison on May 27 after killing a second person only 16 days after being released in 2020. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, revealed that Hamalowa shot the victim, Richard Olds, multiple times in the head in front of his young child on reservation land belonging to the Gila River Indian Community.
Hamalowa and his siblings attempted to cover up the murder by disposing of the victim’s car and dumping his body in a remote area of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian reservation. They also intimidated witnesses to prevent them from reporting the crime.
The sentencing notice mentioned that Hamalowa has a history of violence. In 1991, he stabbed his mother with a butcher knife, and in 1999, he stabbed and killed a man. While serving his first sentence, he also stabbed a fellow inmate.
Hamalowa’s brother, Thomas Leon Hamalowa, pleaded guilty to accessory-after-the-fact to murder and was sentenced to 108 months in prison in October 2023. His sister, Devonne Beth Hamalowa, pleaded guilty to accessory-after-the-fact to murder and was sentenced to 84 months in prison in April 2024.
This case highlights the tragic consequences of repeated violent behavior and the importance of holding individuals accountable for their actions. The justice system must ensure that those who commit heinous crimes are appropriately punished to protect society from further harm.
