Winston Billie was shot and killed in the early morning hours of June 10, 2025, in the Hovenweep area north of Aneth, Utah, on the Navajo Nation. According to the victim’s girlfriend, the disturbance began around 4 a.m. with two gunshots heard from the living room. Billie woke her, spoke about worrying behavior by another man in the house, identified as Chevel Cottonwood, then returned to the living room where an argument and at least one more gunshot occurred. The girlfriend found Billie on the floor bleeding from an apparent gunshot wound.

Navajo Police responded just before 5:30 a.m. and were directed to the location where Billie's body was found. Law enforcement used a drone to locate Cottonwood hiding in nearby bushes; he was taken into federal custody the same day and has been charged in federal court with second-degree murder in Indian Country and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The FBI’s Salt Lake City office is involved due to federal jurisdiction over crimes on tribal land.

Anyone with information about what happened that morning or who knew Winston Billie is asked to come forward.