In the midst of a crisis involving missing and murdered Native Americans, the murder of Mavis Kindness Nelson had an unusual conclusion: a suspect was apprehended, and he pleaded guilty.

Ernestine Morning Owl is holding a family photo of her sister, Mavis Nelson, who vanished and was found dead in a park in Seattle last year.

In a family photo held by Ernestine Morning Owl is her sister Mavis Kindness Nelson, who vanished and was later found dead in a Seattle park last year. for NBC News, Kari Rowe

Updated at June 30, 2023, 11:30 p.m. UTC from June 30, 2023’s print time of 5:42 p.m.
Eric Ortiz

Mavis Kindness Nelson was a Seattle resident who worked at the front desk of a transitional housing facility.

When her mangled body was discovered in a forested ravine close to the University of Washington campus a year ago, her family had little hope that her killer would be apprehended.

They were aware of the grim statistics involving murdered and missing Native American women, particularly in Washington State, where the proportion of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women is around four times higher than that of white women.

The elder sister of Nelson, Ernestine Morning Owl, remarked last week, “I didn’t think I was going to be heard then.” I initially believed we would be by ourselves during this.

However, a persistent police investigation produced what is being hailed as a stunning result by activists for missing and murdered Indigenous people: Charles Becker, 33, a suspect who had been detained since October, admitted guilt this month and was given a 34-year prison term on Friday after being found guilty of first-degree murder, wrongful imprisonment, and sexually abusing human remains.

Because there was no jury trial, the term was based on strict sentence guidelines, but according to authorities, the sexual incentive element could possibly cause a review board to impose additional punishment.

Mavis Kindness Nelson’s 56-year-old death is being looked into by Seattle police. Ernestine Early Bird
The Justice Department stated this week that it will send a team of attorneys and coordinators to areas throughout the West to look into unresolved cases in response to the epidemic of Native Americans going missing and getting killed in recent years.

Morning Owl made the short trip to Seattle from her home in Pendleton, Oregon, to attend the sentencing and see the guy who killed her sister in an “extreme and disturbing” manner, according to the prosecution.

Nelson’s 56-year-old family wants to make sure that her death wasn’t in vain and that other Native families have hope now that justice is on the way for Nelson.

Morning Owl stated, “I feel like my sister’s voice is speaking through me.

Locating the murderer

Those who knew Nelson, an enrolled Yakama Nation resident who lived in a studio apartment in Seattle, said they didn’t understand why somebody would want to harm her. She had a contagious smile and was known as Boots because, as a young kid, she enjoyed dancing to the Nancy Sinatra song, “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.”

I once thought she was stunning. But not just gorgeous, but very kind and compassionate,” said Roxanne White, Nelson’s friend and the head of a grassroots organization in Washington State that fights for the rights of Indigenous people who have been murdered or gone missing. “She made a big impact on a lot of people.”

However, the manner in which she was murdered belied her kind nature.

When Seattle police responded to a 911 call, they allegedly found three trash bags scattered across a ravine and trail beneath an elevated roadway.

One of the bags burst on impact, giving the impression that it had been tossed off the side of the road. Investigators found some terrible things inside: a skull and a torso, mutilated arms and legs, and organs and flesh in three different bags.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the multiple sharp-force wounds were the cause of death.

Nelson was thought to have been dead for almost two weeks, even though the remains had only been there for a day. According to the investigators, an unpackaged condom and synthetic rubber gloves were also discovered.

Nelson had been reported missing to Seattle police at the time of the crime, according to Morning Owl, who said a hummingbird tattoo on her sister’s arm assisted authorities in identifying the victim.

Det. Josh Rurey, the case’s lead investigator with the Seattle Police Department, later discovered that Nelson had been involved in a domestic violence incident in the nearby city of Auburn about a month earlier. According to local police records, Nelson had also promised to take a rideshare back to Seattle from Auburn. That incident, according to Morning Owl, included a lover.

Following the acquisition of a search warrant, Seattle police entered Nelson’s residence and discovered empty beer cans, which they reportedly checked for fingerprints.

Rurey claimed that although he had never before overseen a homicide investigation involving a Native American victim, this one stood out to him because of how horrifying it was.

He began to follow every lead with assistance from other law enforcement organizations, such as the FBI. After obtaining Nelson’s cellphone data, he discovered that the same number appeared repeatedly on the night she took the rideshare home. After that night, Nelson was no longer contacted by the number that didn’t belong to his lover.

For the phone number, Rurey submitted a search warrant application. He had a name when the results were in Charles Becker.

Ernestine Early Bird

Ernestine Morning Owl desires to make certain that her sister’s passing wasn’t in vain. for NBC News, Kari Rowe
Becker was already known to law enforcement, completing the puzzle.

Following his arrest in 2015 for the asphyxiation death of his 4-month-old baby, who was discovered in the family’s apartment after choking on a plastic garment bag, his DNA was found in state and federal databases, according to Whitman County prosecutors.

Although the demise was determined to be unintentional, Becker was prosecuted for second-degree manslaughter and was later found guilty in 2016. According to the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, he received the maximum penalty of 27 months in prison because he had never been convicted of a felony before.

The judge chastised him at his sentence, saying, “I’m astonished your other children survived as long as they did. Simply absurd, startling, and horrible describe it.

The role of DNA would become vital in Nelson’s case.

According to Rurey, a forensic analysis of the synthetic rubber gloves discovered at the crime scene revealed a DNA match with Becker. He also claimed that the empty beer cans taken from Nelson’s apartment bore his fingerprints.

On this occasion, Rurey remarked, “I was onto Charles Becker fairly early, but I had to keep an open mind.” The focus kept returning to him.

Early in October, armed with the proof, detectives detained Becker and interrogated him. Becker was informed of his Miranda rights, according to Rurey, and he consented to the interview.

Rurey claimed that during the nine hours of questioning, Becker gave specifics and information that could only have been learned from someone who had actually committed the crime.

A 3-year-old girl’s disappearance and murder illustrate the issue of Native American women.
AUG. 24, 202102:44
According to the charging documents, Becker claimed to know Nelson and that they had a consensual sexual connection. He also acknowledged being with Nelson the night she passed away.

Rurey claimed that he gave several contradictory accounts of how she died, even implying that a second person was responsible.

Later, he claimed that Nelson’s body was kept in a bedroom closet and that, in order to save it from further degradation, he and another person would commit necrophilia before destroying her remains.

The charging documents state that Becker admitted to helping someone else dismember Nelson’s body during the interrogation rather than doing it himself.

There is currently no indication, according to Rurey, that a second person was involved. Although it appears they may have once worked at the same transitional housing organization and had acquaintances, he said he intends to speak with Becker more in order to learn more about how he met Nelson.

Morning Owl thinks Becker and her sister were friends, and she might have asked him for help the night of the domestic violence incident.

Rurey remarked, “Unfortunately, that kindness was manipulated. Becker even remarked, “She was too nice,” or words to that effect.

Justice is near.

Longtime buddy White of Nelson’s recalled first seeing him around ten years ago while they were both living on the Yakama Reservation. Nelson provided White with a hot lunch and a place to rest as she dealt with personal concerns.

White added, “We’re all grateful and glad that they got the guy.” I hope he receives the harshest form of justice, whatever that may be.”

White claimed that not all of the families she represents got the same tenacious police effort. The lack of urgency is made worse by an undercount of cases, Indigenous women who are mistakenly labeled as white or Hispanic, the fact that law enforcement frequently overlooks tribal affiliations in paperwork, and the general mistrust of police among Native communities due to the pervasiveness of sexual assault and human trafficking.

Although Rurey had never handled a case involving an Indigenous victim, he was aware of the need to be cautious around Nelson’s family and tribe. In October, he made a personal trip to the Yakama Reservation to inform them about Becker’s arrest and to talk with them about the situation.

Morning Owl emphasized the significance and need of how Rurey created a bridge throughout the procedure.

Josh has been great, she remarked. He is an excellent detective.

At Becker’s sentence, Rurey was present. In order to provide comfort to Nelson’s family and to prevent a person from killing again, he claimed that solving the case was essential.

Rurey declared, “We definitely feel like we removed a monster from the streets.

An analysis of Ernestine Morning Owl’s effects

An analysis of Ernestine Morning Owl’s effects for NBC News, Kari Rowe
Morning Owl filed a victim impact statement for Becker’s sentence, in which she described how the loss of her sister had destroyed the family. She claimed that Becker was the kind of person Nelson would aid and befriend, and he betrayed her goodness.

She wrote to the judge, “He took from the world a woman who cared for the wellbeing of those who suffered in their lives.

” She exhibited sympathy for others whose lives were adversely affected by situations that left them in need of assistance. She was available to them.