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Birney man sentenced to 25 years in prison for strangulation

Missoula Shooting May 12
Posted at 7:49 PM, Dec 04, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-05 16:28:54-05

BILLLINGS — Randy Lee Littlebird, age 36, pleaded guilty in July to second degree murder, strangulation and domestic abuse by habitual offender.

“A Birney resident with a history of domestic abuse convictions was sentenced today to 25 years in prison and five years of supervised release for the strangulation death last year of a woman on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation,” U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

The prosecution said in court records that Littlebird killed the victim on Feb. 4, 2018 at a shared residence in Birney right after Littlebird and the victim got drunk on alcohol.

Another individual in the house heard the confrontation between the two and the victim yell, “No Randy, don’t, don’t,” then her scream, followed by silence.

Littlebird entered her room and said that the victim was unresponsive lying on the floor near a rope. He later moved the body elsewhere.

While Littlebird claimed the victim had killed herself, the autopsy report determined cause of death was ligature strangulation and multiple blunt force injuries.

In an interview with FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs agents, Littlebird confessed to fatally strangling the victim, tying ropes around the victim’s ankles to prevent her from leaving.

He intially left and later returned to the room when the two argued some more. Littlebird grabbed the rope, which was now around the victim’s neck, and while standing, pulled on it, strangling her.

Littlebird has four prior domestic abuse convictions on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Dake prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and BIA.