A Towaoc woman has pleaded not guilty to a second-degree murder charge, and has been released on a $100,000 bond to a halfway house in Durango while her case moves forward, according to federal court officials.
Jaycene Littledeer Colorow was arrested by the FBI in the early hours of Feb. 8 at a Towaoc residence where a reported fight had taken place. She was later charged with first-degree murder for allegedly stabbing her sister, Keisha Colorow, 19, causing her death, according to federal court records.
But “after the completion of a thorough review of the facts of this case, it was decided that the government would pursue second-degree murder charges,” reports Jeff Dorschner, public affairs officer for the U.S. Department of Justice. “At this point, the defendant has entered a not-guilty plea.”
The sisters, both members of the Ute Mountain Ute tribe, had been drinking, according to a federal affidavit. A witness stated they were fighting over “a stupid cell phone.”
The court granted Colorow an unsecured $100,000 bond “over the government’s objection,” Dorschner said.
Under her conditions of release to the halfway house, Colorow is prohibited from traveling to Towaoc or associating with specific people. She must regularly report to a probation officer, seek employment and education, and not use drugs or alcohol. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for October.