Navajo Nation woman accused of murdering husband, young son in northern Arizona

NAVAJO NATION, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — A woman is facing federal murder charges after allegedly shooting her husband and 6-year-old son near their home in the Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona.

According to a federal indictment, Navajo Police responded to a home Wednesday night after a caller said a man and child were found dead near the town of Kaibito. The caller also reported that several cars traveling between that town and Red Lake had been struck by gunfire.

Officers and later agents from the FBI arrived and discovered the bodies of a man and a 6-year-old boy, both found shot in the head. The suspect was identified as 28-year-old Lydia Carol King, who left before law enforcement arrived.

Agents spoke with King’s brother, who said the shooting happened outside their mother’s home. He told agents that King’s husband told her to be careful because the gun she was carrying was loaded. He reportedly heard King say she was sorry, followed by several gunshots. He said he and his brother ran into the nearby woods and heard a gunshot go past them.

Early Thursday morning, investigators say King showed up at a Flagstaff hospital. Court documents say King walked up to a hospital employee and said she had killed two people on the Navajo reservation. Flagstaff police were called to the hospital, where King reportedly told officers the same thing.

Per court documents, King told FBI agents she had wondered if her husband and her brothers were going to harm her, so she would kill them first. She reportedly told agents she shot her husband multiple times in the back before shooting him in the head. Documents say she then admitted to shooting her young son before driving away and shooting at passing vehicles.

King has since been charged with two federal counts of first-degree murder. The Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety is also assisting with the investigation.

Navajo Nation provides resources for tribal members who are victims of domestic violence. Help is available by calling (928) 660-8991.

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