Fort Hall man sentenced for killing cousin, hiding his body in a shed - East Idaho News
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Fort Hall man sentenced for killing cousin, hiding his body in a shed

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POCATELLO – A Fort Hall man is going to federal prison after he killed his cousin with a sawed off shotgun and hid the body in a shed.

Demetrius Anthony Gomez, 30, was sentenced Tuesday to 30 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised released for second degree murder.

Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Gomez to pay a $5,000 fine.

On January 5, 2017, a jury found Gomez guilty of one count of second degree murder.

Gomez was with friends and family at a home on May 9, 2016 when he shot and killed his cousin at close range with the shotgun. He did so deliberately, intentionally, and unprovoked, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.

Police were unable to find a body within the home and followed what appeared to be a blood trail onto the front porch, according to court documents. Police say that it appeared there was an attempt to cover the blood trail with a rake.

The trail ended near a shed. Officers entered the shed to find a person lying on the floor of the shed, wrapped in a rug. The person was later identified as Tyrone Diaz, 45, of Fort Hall. Authorities said Diaz was “cold to the touch” and appeared to have been shot in the face.

Police later discovered shotgun shells burning in a large bonfire. They also found the rake in the yard.

“This case was a senseless and cowardly attack during a party. Our thoughts remain with the victim and his family,” Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez said. “We hope that the severe sentence in this case serves as a deterrent to others and prevent more senseless violence in our community.”

The case was investigated by the Fort Hall Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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