Winnebago Man Sentenced for Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country

United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Tylan Joseph Walker, age 21, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 15, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for voluntary manslaughter in Indian Country. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Walker to 97 months' imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Walker's release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.

On March 30, 2024, Walker was drinking and socializing with friends. At one point, he and a female friend met up with a 19-year-old Winnebago man and spent time drinking and talking. After a minor disagreement between the two men, Walker started a fist fight and then stabbed the 19-year-old male in the upper thigh area. The victim bled profusely and was unresponsive by the time emergency services arrived on scene. Despite extensive efforts by emergency services and medical staff at two hospitals, the victim ultimately succumbed to his wounds and died on April 3, 2024. Before handing down Walker's 97-month sentence, Judge Buescher heard testimony from several members of the victim's family, who asked the court to consider the deep pain and trauma experienced by their family and the Winnebago community as a whole because of Walker's actions.

This case was prosecuted in federal court because the offense was a felony and occurred on the Winnebago Indian Reservation in Nebraska.

This case was investigated by <_w3a_listitem listvalue="[CHOOSE AN AGENCY]" datavalue="[CHOOSE AN AGENCY]"><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. " datavalue="the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. "><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Drug Enforcement Administration." datavalue="the Drug Enforcement Administration."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Federal Bureau of Investigation." datavalue="the Federal Bureau of Investigation."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Department of Homeland Security." datavalue="the Department of Homeland Security."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="Homeland Security Investigations." datavalue="Homeland Security Investigations."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="Immigration and Customs Enforcement." datavalue="Immigration and Customs Enforcement."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Internal Revenue Service." datavalue="the Internal Revenue Service."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="IRS Criminal Investigations." datavalue="IRS Criminal Investigations."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force. " datavalue="the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force. "><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Lincoln Police Department." datavalue="the Lincoln Police Department."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Nebraska State Patrol." datavalue="the Nebraska State Patrol."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force" datavalue="the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force"><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Omaha Police Department." datavalue="the Omaha Police Department."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Postal Inspection Service." datavalue="the Postal Inspection Service."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the U.S. Secret Service." datavalue="the U.S. Secret Service.">the Federal Bureau of Investigation.