40-year-old Arapaho James Oldman of Arapahoe was sentenced to life in prison last week by U.S. District Court Judge Scott Skavdahl.
In January 2019, Oldman was convicted by a jury of first-degree murder for killing Charles Dodge III in November 2017.
On November 30, 2017 FBI agents and BIA officers responded to a report of a dead person found inside of a crawlspace in a house on Great Plains Road in Arapahoe.
The search revealed the remains of Dodge. Investigators say his body had been moved after he had been killed by a blunt force injury. The full report from K2 Radio cited, “complete mutilation of the face” and “cuts on the arm.”
Dodge had been reported missing by family members for just over one week before his body was found.
Court documents show witnesses told investigators that Oldman, Dodge, and others were in the basement of a house and drinking vodka from a half-gallon bottle. Dodge allegedly poured some of the vodka into a smaller bottle and told the others he was saving it for the next day, Thanksgiving, because he would not be able to purchase more as liquor stores were closed on Thanksgiving Day.
Court documents say that Oldman demanded some of the vodka that Dodge was saving, but Dodge refused. Oldman then jumped on Dodge, picked up a wrench, and beat him repeatedly. Oldman beat Dodge until he no longer responded, then moved the body into a crawl space.
Three other people were sent to prison for their involvement in the incident. Matthew Whiteplume received 11 years of imprisonment for first-degree murder and aid and abetting. Monty Tabaho received five and a half years of imprisonment for accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. Jori Lamebull was sentenced to three years seven months in prison.
More details about the court ruling can be found here.