Two convicted in Keller homicide

KELLER – Two Colville tribal members were convicted Nov. 25 in the slayings of a local couple following a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Spokane.

Zachary L. Holt, 24, and Dezmonique D. Tenzsley, also known as “Privilege,” 35, were convicted of 17 crimes, including felony murder in Indian Country, attempted murder of a federal officer, assault of a federal officer, attempted robbery in Indian Country, robbery affecting commerce and several firearms offenses. Holt was also convicted of first-degree murder in Indian Country and murder resulting from discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

They will be sentenced Feb. 6.

According to court documents, Holt and Tenzsley went on a six-week crime spree that began in September 2022 in Northern Idaho and continued until the defendants’ arrests Oct. 21, 2022. During their crime spree, Holt and Tenzsley committed home invasions as well as a robbery in Northern Idaho, and then took their firearms and much of the stolen property into Eastern Washington, where they shot and killed Gale and Jeremy Neal at about 4:21 p.m. on Oct. 21, 2022, in Keller.

Gale and Jeremy Neal were shot twice inside their trailer during a failed robbery, court records show. Eyewitnesses described three armed men wearing masks, who arrived at the trailer in a red sedan.

Surveillance video presented at trial showed the red sedan arrive at about 4:19 p.m. and depart two minutes and ten seconds later, at 4:21 p.m., just moments after the homicide.

Approximately 30 minutes before the slayings, Holt and Tenzsley were driving on a dirt road in the Keller area, court records show. Holt, who was speeding, swerved to miss a school bus, causing Holt’s vehicle to turnover into a ditch.

Minutes later, Holt’s brother, Curry Pinkham, pulled up to give both Holt and Tenzsley a ride, court records show. Just before getting into Pinkham’s car, Holt and Tenzsley moved several firearms – including the murder weapon – and thousands rounds of ammunition out of the crashed car and into the red sedan – a 2007 Toyota Camry.

Testimony at trial established that Holt was upset about wrecking his car and demanded that Pinkham take them to a location where they could get more drugs and find someone to rob. Pinkham agreed to drive Holt to the home of a known drug dealer in the Keller area.

When Holt, Tenzsley and Pinkham arrived at the residence of the known drug dealer, Holt and Tenzsley put on rubber gloves and masks, court records show. Holt, Tenzsley and Pinkham then grabbed firearms out of the red sedan. Rather than go to the main residence, where the purported drug dealer lived, Holt and Tenzsley walked to the back of the property, where Gale Neal’s trailer was located.

As Holt and Tenzsley approached, Jeremy Neal came to the door of the trailer, records show. Holt immediately began demanding Neal’s money and property.

Moments later, Holt fired two shots, killing Jeremy Neal, records show. Holt then turned to Gale Nealand fired two more shots, killing her.

Throughout, Tenzsley was standing guard, armed with a shotgun and his face covered by a mask, records show.

After the robbery and murder, and while law enforcement was responding to the scene, Tenzsley, Holt and Pinkham drove towards Nespelem.

As Pinkham was driving the getaway car, Holt fired several additional shots – this time at law enforcement, who was attempting stop the red Camry, records show. During the chase, a Colville Tribal Police sergeant, who was cross-deputized as a federal officer, was hit in the forearm.

Several additional bullets hit the patrol vehicle.

After shooting the first officer, Holt opened fire at a second tribal officer, who also had attempted to stop the red sedan, records show. Tenzsley reloaded firearm magazines as Holt continued to fire at law enforcement.

When the trio arrived in the Nespelem area, the men tried to hide the getaway car under a tarp and fled on foot, records show. They also hid their firearms and ammunition throughout the Nespelem area.

Holt and Tenzsley finally were apprehended the next day after Holt got into a fist fight with a resident, records show.

During the investigation into the slayings of Jeremy and Gale Neal, tribal and federal law enforcement identified a series of other crimes that Holt and Tenzsley committed.

On Sept. 3, 2022, Holt and Tenzsley robbed and assaulted a man at gunpoint inside his trailer in Latah County, Idaho, records show. The pair stole ammunition, gun parts, the victim’s car keys, and a safe containing the title to the victim’s camper trailer. As Holt and Tenzsley were fleeing the robbery scene, they exchanged fire with the robbery victim.

Additional evidence established that on Oct. 12, 2022, Holt and Tenzsley invaded two homes and assaulted multiple victims on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation in Lapwai, Idaho.

The evidence at trial showed that Holt and Tenzsley were looking for someone to rob when they committed those assaults, records show. During the second home invasion that evening, Holt and Tenzsley shot a dog in the face; it survived.

In the days immediately after the Lapwai assaults, Holt and Tenzsley traveled to Keller, where they killed the Neals and shot at police. The firearm used in the shooting on the Nez Perce Reservation was the same gun Holt and Tenzsley used during the Neal murders, as well as the attempted murder and assault of the two federal officers, records show.