BILLINGS – The leader of two American Indian tribes says the alleged beating death of a 1-year-old girl and the recent kidnapping of a second child reflect a rising drug epidemic that his Montana reservation has failed to address.
Fort Peck Tribal Chairman Floyd Azure says the community at large must be held accountable for this week’s death of Kenzley Olson.
Forty-two-year-old Janelle Red Dog was ordered held without bond Friday in connection with Kenzley’s death. An investigator testified that Red Dog confessed to the killing.
Limited details have been released on Kenzley’s death and the February kidnapping and sexual assault of a 4-year-old girl. Investigators haven’t publicly linked them to drugs, but Azure told The Associated Press the use of methamphetamine was at the root of both crimes.