The Tragic Disappearance of Philbert Shorty

It was the winter of 2021 when Philbert Shorty’s family made a disturbing discovery. His abandoned car was found stuck in the mud outside the small community of Tsaile near the Arizona-New Mexico state line. “We knew something had happened from the get-go,” said his uncle, Ben Shorty. “We couldn’t find any answers.”

Family members immediately reported the 44-year-old man missing. Over the next two years, they tirelessly searched — hiking through remote canyons on the Navajo Nation, placing advertisements on the radio, and posting across social media in the hopes of uncovering any clues.

Despite their efforts, they were met with silence. Little did they know, Philbert had met a tragic end more than a week before they reported him missing.

A Shocking Revelation

It was only last summer that U.S. prosecutors finalized a plea deal with Shiloh Aaron Oldrock, who was charged in connection with Shorty’s death. This came as a result of a separate investigation into the killing and beheading of Oldrock’s uncle. The 30-year-old Fargo, N.D., man confessed to authorities that his uncle had threatened to kill him during an alcohol-fueled fight that occurred eight months after the pair conspired to cover up Shorty’s death by dismembering and burning his body on Jan. 29, 2021.

Both incidents, according to Oldrock, stemmed from nights of heavy drinking and fighting that tragically culminated in death at his uncle’s home near Navajo, N.M.

A Familiar Narrative in Indian Country

While the details of this story are particularly gruesome, they are sadly all too common in Indian Country. Generations of unaddressed trauma combined with substance abuse create a dangerous mix that often leads to violence. However, the resources available for law enforcement and social support programs are often insufficient to provide the necessary assistance.

Unsolved Cases and Ongoing Crisis

Shorty’s case is just one of many across the United States and Canada, where high rates of missing persons and unsolved killings involving Indigenous people have raised alarms at the highest levels of government. In response to this crisis, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order in 2019 establishing a task force, followed by Congress passing two key pieces of legislation in 2020 aimed at addressing the issue.

Under the Biden administration, U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a staunch advocate for Indigenous communities, has been working tirelessly to address the systemic problems and jurisdictional challenges that have left victims’ families feeling overlooked.

A Call for Action

Despite these efforts, the Interior Department has yet to respond to a set of recommendations from a special commission tasked with tackling the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous people. Family members have shared heartbreaking testimonies, highlighting the struggles they face in seeking justice for their loved ones.

Shorty’s family, much like others, has been left grappling with the lingering pain and uncertainty despite the increased focus on solving such crimes. U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico, Alexander Uballez, acknowledged the family’s anguish in a November sentencing memo, expressing hope that the conviction of Oldrock would bring some closure to the grieving relatives.

Frustrations and Roadblocks

However, the promise of transparency from law enforcement agencies often falls short, leaving Native American families frustrated and in the dark about the status of pending cases. In Shorty’s case, unanswered questions about the recovery of any remains have left his family in limbo, unsure if they will ever have the opportunity for a proper burial.

Ben Shorty expressed his disappointment in the lack of communication from investigators, stating, “It was all done behind closed doors. The FBI does this all the time. They don’t even talk to the family until there is an indictment. And very often they don’t say anything at all.”

Seeking Answers and Closure

Despite the challenges and setbacks, families like Shorty’s continue to hold out hope for closure. Darlene Gomez, an Albuquerque attorney who has represented numerous Native American families, understands the frustrations and obstacles they face in seeking justice.

As the search for answers continues, families remain resilient, seeking closure and justice for their loved ones who have been taken too soon.

Information for this article was contributed by Susan Montoya Bryan of The Associated Press.