Hays woman sentenced to prison for assault

GREAT FALLS - A Hays woman who participated in the assault of a man who later succumbed to his injuries was sentenced today to 18 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.

Alta Rose Chandler, 24, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

The government alleged in court documents that Fort Belknap law enforcement, responding to a 911 call, discovered John Doe bloodied and unconscious on his kitchen floor around 6 a.m. September 30, 2023. At the home were Doe's adult daughter, Heavenlee Drewann Sears, a relative who had called 911, and Chandler.

Earlier in the evening, Sears and Chandler were driving around Fort Belknap and drinking from a bottle of peppermint schnapps they'd purchased during their night out after consuming an 18-pack of beer. At some point, they arrived at Doe's house and continued drinking with him in his kitchen. Sears later told investigators she lost her temper and struck Doe repeatedly in the head with the glass schnapps bottle, knocking him to the floor. Once on the ground, Chandler continued to punch Doe in the head, leaving her knuckles bruised.

Once paramedics arrived, Doe was taken to Fort Belknap Indian Health Services where he was unresponsive and breathing erratically. His ears and face were bruised and swollen, his nose was lacerated, his upper lip was lacerated, and he had a human bite mark on his forehead. He also had bite marks on his left wrist and left upper chest.

Doe died two months later on December 11, 2023, due to a traumatic brain injury. On March 11, 2026, Sears was sentenced to 22 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release for her role in the assault.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.

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