Julian Darryl James Simpson, 25, of Lewiston, Idaho, was sentenced today to 300 months in federal prison following his conviction for second degree murder. Simpson, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, pleaded guilty to this charge on October 27, 2017. According to court documents, on March 19, 2016, Simpson and codefendant Victor Joseph Contreras attended a party on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. As a result of escalating disputes between suspected gang members at the party, Simpson and Contreras were asked to leave. When other party goers left the house, Simpson and Contreras opened fire on them using semiautomatic pistols. Simpson fired at least one shot at a victim, striking him in the back of the head, and fired additional shots into a nearby car. Contreras, upon hearing the gunshots, fired more than 20 rounds into the crowd of party goers, striking a second victim just above the ankle. The first victim was medically evacuated to a nearby hospital but later died from his injuries. Simpson was arrested a week later in Lewiston with the firearm used to kill the victim. Contreras pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence on July 5, 2017. His sentencing is scheduled for July 19, 2018.
