Little Moon Arraigned In District Court For July Murder In Chadron

The Chadron man charged with the city’s first homicide in nearly 13 years was formally arraigned in Dawes County District Court on Tuesday.

       20-year old Ian Little Moon, who commonly goes by Sage Little Moon, had waived his preliminary hearing in county court last month on charges of 1st-degree murder and felony use of a firearm.

      Little Moon remains in custody without bail and District Judge Travis O’Gorman yesterday scheduled a status for Dec 14.

      Little Moon is represented by Dawes County Public Defender Becca Chasek and the Nebraska Commission of Public Advocacy while County Attorney Vance Haug has given Assistant Attorney General Doug Warner the role of lead prosecutor.

     LIttle Moon is accused of killing 72-year old John Martinez, who was in a relationship with his 33-year old sister Reva. She and her 4 children, who called Martinez their father, were in the house at the time of the shooting in a downstairs bedroom. 

    One of the children told officers they saw Little Moon come downstairs and wake up Martinez, who asked him what he was doing before Little Moon shot him in the head. A loaded assault style rifle with blood on it was on the floor next to the bed.

      Investigators later spoke with a friend of Little Moon who said they were together earlier in the evening and that he believed Little Moon was drunk and had been using cocaine and methamphetamine. 

      Little Moon had left the murder scene before police arrive, fleeing in a stolen minivan. It was recovered late in the morning near Whiteclay.

     Little Moon was arrested a short time later on the Pine Ridge Reservation by Oglala Sioux tribal law enforcement.