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On May 30, 2009, 29-year-old Raul Flores Jr. and his daughter, nine-year-old Brisenia Ylianna Flores, were murdered during a
home invasion A home invasion, also called a hot prowl burglary, is a sub-type of burglary (or in some jurisdictions, a separately defined crime) in which an offender unlawfully enters into a building residence while the occupants are inside. The overarching ...
in
Arivaca Arivaca ( O'odham: Ali Wa:pk) is an unincorporated community in Pima County, Arizona, United States.Arivac ...
,
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
. The perpetrators were Shawna Forde, Jason Eugene Bush and Albert Gaxiola, all members of Forde's
vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without Right, legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a pers ...
nativist group, Minutemen American Defense (MAD). Gina Gonzalez, the victims' wife and mother, was wounded but survived the attack after exchanging gunfire with the intruders, wounding Bush. In 2011, all three assailants were convicted of murder. Forde and Bush were
sentenced to death Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...
, while Gaxiola was sentenced to
life in prison Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...
without parole.


Attack

Shawna Forde and her accomplices gained entry into the Flores home by claiming they were officials looking for fugitives. The suspects had the expectation of finding money and drugs that could be sold to finance Forde's
vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without Right, legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a pers ...
nativist group, Minutemen American Defense (MAD), which patrolled
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
's border with
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. When they found no drugs, the intruders took inexpensive jewelry and fatally shot 29-year-old Raul Flores Jr. and his daughter, nine-year-old Brisenia Ylianna Flores. Gina Marie Gonzalez, the 31-year-old wife of Raul Flores and the mother of Brisenia, was in the home during the attack and was shot three times. She survived when she pretended to be dead. After the assailants left the home, Gonzalez called
9-1-1 , usually written 911, is an emergency telephone number for the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Palau, Argentina, Philippines, Jordan, as well as the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), one of eight N11 codes. Like other emergency nu ...
and armed herself with her husband's handgun. While Gonzalez was on the phone, the assailants re-entered the home, and Gonzalez exchanged fire with the attackers, wounding Bush in the leg. The killers then fled. Gonzalez identified two men and a white woman as the attackers. She identified Bush as the one who had murdered her daughter and her husband. The day after the murders, Bush's leg was treated by MAD member Chuck Stonex. Stonex later become a witness for the
prosecution A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal trial ...
at trial. An early exchange within the 911 call was recorded as follows: Brisenia was a third-grade student at the Sopori Elementary School in
Amado, Arizona Amado is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 295 at the 2010 census. Geography Amado is located at (31.704900, -111.065492). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP ha ...
at the time of her death. Another of the Flores's daughters, a 12-year-old, was at her grandmother's home in
Sahuarita Sahuarita is a town in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Sahuarita is located south of the Tohono O'odham Nation and abuts the north end of Green Valley, 15 miles (24 km) south of Tucson. The population was 34,134 at th2020 census His ...
during the attack.


Trial

Arriving at a
death sentence Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that ...
for Forde was difficult, according to juror Angie Thomas. A picture of Brisenia presented during the trial was a significant factor in reaching the decision: "A little girl, with bright red fingernails; she's wearing a white T-shirt and turquoise-colored pajama bottoms. She's on a love seat. It's a perfect, innocent picture until you realize that half of her face has been blown off." Gonzalez testified that her daughter was shot point-blank as the girl pleaded for her life. Forde, Bush, and Albert Gaxiola were all convicted of the murders. Forde and Bush were sentenced to death, while Gaxiola was sentenced to
life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...
without parole plus 54 years.


Assailants


Jason Eugene Bush

Jason Eugene "Gunny" Bush (born
LaGrande Intel Trusted Execution Technology (Intel TXT, formerly known as LaGrande Technology) is a computer hardware technology whose primary goals are: * Attestation of the authenticity of a platform and its operating system. * Assuring that an authent ...
,
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
) of
Meadview, Arizona Meadview is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Mohave County, Arizona, United States, located near Lake Mead. As of the 2020 census, Meadview had 1,420 residents, up from 1,224 as of 2010. It was founded in the 1960 ...
, was MAD's National Director of Operations. Bush had previously been charged with the September 1997 execution-style killing of an
Aryan Nation Aryan Nations is a North American Antisemitism, antisemitic, Neo-Nazism, neo-Nazi, white supremacy, white supremacist organization that was originally based in Kootenai County, Idaho, Kootenai County, Idaho, about miles (4.4 km) north of t ...
associate, Jonathan Bumstead, for supposedly committing the "crime" of "being a 'race-traitor'". That same year, Bush was imprisoned for
car theft Motor vehicle theft (also known as a car theft and, in the United States, grand theft auto) is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle. Nationwide in the United States in 2020, there were 810,400 vehicles reported ...
and for possession of a firearm, which was unlawful because of Bush's earlier
felony A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "félonie") to describe an offense that resu ...
conviction.http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.sahuaritasun.com/articles/2009/06/17/news/00arivacanew617.txt After his release from prison in 2003, Bush moved to Sandpoint,
Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
, where he lived until 2007. He is suspected in two additional killings that occurred in 1997. According to information provided to
Washington state Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
detectives, Bush is alleged to have shown up at the homes of acquaintances covered in blood and asked to be allowed to clean up, after he had "just finished taking care of some business." Detectives sought to find links to unresolved cases. Bush, who was Forde's second-in-command, had ties to Aryan Nations, a
white supremacist White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other Race (human classification), races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any Power (social and polit ...
organization. After his arrest in the murders of Raul and Brisenia Flores, Bush was charged in June 2009 with the 1997 murder of Hector Lopez Partida in
Wenatchee, Washington Wenatchee ( ) is the county seat and largest city of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925, and was estimated to have increased to 34,360 as of 2019. Located in the north-central part ...
based on DNA evidence. In April 2011, Bush was sentenced to death, and in May 2011, received another 78 years for other crimes. Bush's appeal of his death sentence was rejected in 2018.


Shawna Forde

Shawna Forde was born . In describing herself in 2007 when she ran unsuccessfully for a city council seat in
Everett, Washington Everett is the county seat and largest city of Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is north of Seattle and is one of the main cities in the metropolitan area and the Puget Sound region. Everett is the seventh-largest city in the ...
, Forde said that she had been a promoter of a
grunge rock Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of pu ...
band and had worked as a youth counselor, aircraft factory worker, and as a cosmetologist. Forde had several run-ins with law enforcement before her arrest for the double murder. Court records show that she served time in juvenile lock-ups for repeated convictions involving
theft Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...
,
burglary Burglary, also called breaking and entering and sometimes housebreaking, is the act of entering a building or other areas without permission, with the intention of committing a criminal offence. Usually that offence is theft, robbery or murder ...
, and
prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...
. Forde had been married four times. In 1989, a male friend sought court protection from Forde, claiming that she had physically attacked him and threatened to hurt herself with a knife. In 2007, she was charged with theft. In January 2008, Forde accused members of a drug cartel of
sexually assaulting Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...
and shooting her. Later, however, she suggested the culprits were criminal associates of her son. Forde's brother alleged that she fabricated the story, and authorities closed the case due to insufficient evidence. In 2007, Forde became involved in vigilante activities after she joined the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps (MCDC), which eventually expelled her. In February 2007, she helped found and direct MAD, a splinter group from the MCDC, which questionably claimed "several thousand private members," although a former member claimed only fourteen remained following Forde's arrest for the Flores murders. Forde was posting updates to the website of
Jim Gilchrist James Walter Gilchrist Jr. is an American political activist and the co-founder and president of the Minuteman Project, an activist group whose aim is to prevent illegal immigration across the southern border of the United States. Early life ...
's
Minuteman Project The Minuteman Project is an organization which was founded in the United States in August 2004 by a group of private individuals who sought to extrajudicially monitor the United States–Mexico border's flow of illegal immigrants. Founded by J ...
organization, which had her listed as their Border Operations Manager. Stonex said Forde intended to fund the purchase of a property in southern Arizona, where she had intended to establish a base for her group's border operations. On February 14, 2011, Forde was found guilty of all eight counts for which she was prosecuted: including two counts of the
first-degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the c ...
of Raul and Brisenia, one count of attempted first-degree murder of Gina Gonzalez, two counts of aggravated assault and one count each of burglary, armed robbery, and aggravated robbery. Forde's lawyer, Eric Larsen, had said that Forde was not in the house when Flores and his daughter were murdered, so she should not be found guilty. Prosecutors said Forde was with the two men who broke into the Flores' home, and Gonzalez testified she was there.
Pima County Pima County ( ) is a county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,043,433, making it Arizona's second-most populous county. The county seat is Tucson, where most of the population ...
Deputy County Attorney Rick Unklesbay said, "She didn't put a gun to Brisenia's head ... but she was the one in charge. Because of that, you must hold her accountable." Pima County Sheriff
Clarence Dupnik Clarence William Dupnik (born January 11, 1936) is a retired American law enforcement official. Dupnik was appointed Sheriff of Pima County, Arizona, in February 1980 to fill a vacancy rising from the resignation of his predecessor, Richard Boyki ...
said that Forde planned and ordered the murder of Raul Flores. Although Gonzalez did not pick Forde out of a police lineup, police found Forde in possession of Gonzalez's jewelry, including her wedding ring, during a search after Forde's arrest. Police also presented text messages sent through Forde's phone and recorded conversations between Forde and the other suspects. The prosecutor said Forde had planned the crime for months in meetings out-of-state. "Even if she didn't pull the trigger … make no mistake about it. She's the one who planned the events. She's the one who recruited people to do this," Unklesbay said. On February 22, 2011, a
Tucson , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...
jury convicted Forde of both murders and sentenced her to death. She is one of three women out of 116 inmates on Arizona's
death row Death row, also known as condemned row, is a place in a prison that houses inmates awaiting Capital punishment, execution after being convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of ...
.


Albert Gaxiola

Albert Robert Gaxiola (born ), of Arivaca, Arizona, is believed to have provided intelligence about drug activities in the area to the M.A.D. Gaxiola had been imprisoned on marijuana charges from 1992 to 2000. Gaxiola was found guilty of the murders and sentenced to life without parole plus 54 years.


In the Media

The case has been featured on the
Investigation Discovery Investigation Discovery (stylized and branded on-air as ID since 2008) is an American multinational pay television network dedicated to true crime documentaries owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. As of February 2015, approximately 86 million Ameri ...
program ''
Deadly Women ''Deadly Women'' is an American true crime documentary television series produced by Beyond International Group and airing on the Investigation Discovery (ID) network. The series focuses on murders committed by women. It is hosted by former ...
'', appearing as the first story of the episode "Death Knock." True to the title of the program, the story is told from Forde's point of view.


See also

* Mexican Drug War *
Domestic terrorism Domestic terrorism or homegrown terrorism is a form of terrorism in which victims "within a country are targeted by a perpetrator with the same citizenship" as the victims.Gary M. Jackson, ''Predicting Malicious Behavior: Tools and Techniques ...
*
List of murdered American children This is a list of murdered American children that details notable murders among thousands of cases of subjects who were or are believed to have been under the age of 18 upon their deaths. Cases listed are stated to be unsolved, solved or pending ...


Bibliography

*Neiwert, David. ''And Hell Followed With Her: Crossing the Dark Side of the American Border'' (Nation Books, March 2013) p.  336. *Rosenthal, Lawrence, and Trost, Christine. ''Steep: The Precipitous Rise of the Tea Party'' University of California Press, Jul 15, 2012. p. 93. *Zeskind, Leonard. ''Blood and Politics: The History of the White Nationalist Movement From the Margins to the Mainstream.''


References


External links


Audio of 911 call"Mother shot intruder; funeral set for girl, dad,"
2 June 2009 ''Green Valley News and Sun''

by
Jesse McKinley Jesse Underwood McKinley (born 1970) is an American journalist who is currently Albany bureau chief at ''The New York Times'' and covers the COVID-19 pandemic. Early life and education McKinley grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. He is the son of ...
and Malia Wollan
Immigration Clearinghouse - Tag Archive for "Shawna Forde"

''Arizona Violence: The Untold Story''
by Bob Quasius * *
''Patriot Acts''
Veritas Media Productions LLC, James Lilly {{DEFAULTSORT:Flores, Raul and Brisenia Murders of Vigilantism 2009 in Arizona 2009 murders in the United States Deaths by person in Arizona Everett, Washington History of Pima County, Arizona Patriot movement Political violence in the United States Racially motivated violence against Hispanic and Latino Americans Crimes in Arizona Women sentenced to death Battles of the Mexican drug war Neo-fascist terrorist incidents in the United States Terrorism in the United States History of racism in Arizona