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Man convicted of stabbing death in ‘Indian Country’ sentenced to 25 years in prison

A man who was convicted of committing murder on the Meskwaki Nation Settlement northeast of Des Moines, Iowa has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. According...
Jonathan Youngbear 2-25-14 photo from KCRG

A man who was convicted of committing murder on the Meskwaki Nation Settlement northeast of Des Moines, Iowa has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 21-year-old Jonathan Youngbear pleaded guilty in January 2015 to one count of second degree murder that took place in “Indian Country.”

“In a plea agreement, Youngbear admitted that he stabbed Severn Jefferson twice in the neck and chest with a knife,” the statement said. “Youngbear further admitted that the victim bled to death as a result of the stab wounds.”

Youngbear had alcohol and meth in his system when the murder occurred, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office statement.

In May 2015, Youngbear was sentenced to serve 25 years in federal prison with no chance of parole, the statement said. The sentencing happened in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids, where he was also ordered to have a $100 special assessment and to make $3,026.20 restitution to the Iowa Crime Victim compensation Program.

Once Youngbear is released from prison, he will serve five years of supervised release.

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