Ute Mountain Ute 'Medicine Man' Convicted of Sexual Abuse; Faces Up to Life in Prison

Lyndreth Hemp Wall, 60, was convicted on 15 counts of sexual abuse in Indian Country; sentencing is pending, with a statutory maximum of life in prison.

4 reports on this incident · first at Aug 18, 2026, 5:50 p.m. ET

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 25, 2026, 3:52 p.m. ET

DENVER – Lyndreth Hemp Wall, 60, a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, was on August 18, 2026, on 15 counts of sexual abuse in Indian Country and abusive sexual contact in Indian Country, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado. Wall faces a statutory maximum of life in prison; no sentence has been imposed yet. Wall's crimes involved five victims, including a minor. At trial, prosecutors established that Wall held himself out as a traditional Native American healer, sometimes called a 'medicine man,' and sexually exploited women on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation under the guise of spiritual treatment. The jury heard from five women who alleged abuse in Towaoc, Colorado, and a sixth woman who alleged assault in Alamosa and Lone Tree in 2020 and 2021. Wall also faces two separate allegations of sexual assault in Colorado state court. Those charges are only allegations, and Wall is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the trial. The FBI Office in Durango, Colorado, handled the investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Towaoc.

Earlier reports

Aug 25, 2026, 3:51 p.m. ET
Ute Mountain Ute 'Medicine Man' Convicted of Sexual Abuse; Faces Life in Prison
DENVER – Lyndreth Hemp Wall, 60, a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, was convicted on August 18, 2026, on 15 counts of sexual abuse in Indian Country and abusive sexual contact in Indian Country, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado. The statutory maximum for these convictions is life in prison.
Wall's crimes involved five victims, including a minor. At trial, the jury heard from five women who alleged Wall committed sexual abuse in Towaoc, Colorado, and returned guilty verdicts for abuse of all five. A sixth woman testified about alleged assaults in Alamosa and Lone Tree under a rule permitting evidence of other sexual assaults.
Wall held himself out as a traditional Native American healer, sometimes called a "medicine man," and used traditional elements of Ute healing to trick victims into believing his actions were part of a healing ceremony, according to facts established at trial. He was elected to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council in 2020 and is a former school board member.
Wall also faces two separate allegations of sexual assault in Colorado state court. Those charges are only allegations, and Wall is presumed innocent in those cases until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the trial. The FBI Office in Durango handled the investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Towaoc. Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Josh Player and Jeffrey K. Graves prosecuted the case.
Aug 18, 2026, 5:52 p.m. ET
Lyndreth Hemp Wall Sentenced to Life in Prison in Federal Sexual Abuse Case
Lyndreth Hemp Wall, 60, was sentenced to life in prison on August 18, 2026, after being convicted on 15 counts of sexual abuse in Indian Country and abusive sexual contact in Indian Country, according to official court records from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado. United States District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the sentencing in federal court under docket number 1:24-cr-00003.
According to court records, Wall, a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, held himself out as a traditional Native American healer and sexually exploited multiple women in Towaoc, Colorado, under the guise of spiritual treatment. The federal trial involved five victims, including a minor. Wall was elected to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council in 2020 and is a former school board member in Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1.
Official records note that Wall also faces two separate allegations of sexual assault in Colorado state court. Those pending charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Aug 18, 2026, 5:50 p.m. ETFirst report
Lyndreth Hemp Wall Sentenced to Life in Prison in Federal Sexual Abuse Case
On August 18, 2026, Lyndreth Hemp Wall, 60, a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, was sentenced to life in prison in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, according to official records from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado. Wall was convicted on 15 counts of sexual abuse in Indian Country and abusive sexual contact in Indian Country involving five victims, including a minor. United States District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the sentencing. The matter remains developing as separate state proceedings remain open.
According to official records, Wall served as a former school board member in Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1 and was elected to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council in 2020. Official records state that Wall presented himself as a traditional Native American healer, or "medicine man," and used traditional healing rituals over at least twelve years as a pretense to sexually exploit women in Towaoc, Colorado. The FBI Office in Durango, Colorado, investigated the case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Towaoc.
United States Attorney Peter McNeilly stated, "Claiming you are a spiritual healer and then using that position of power to sexually abuse people who come to you for help is an abhorrent crime." FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski noted that Wall betrayed female tribal members who trusted him for spiritual healing.
Official records note that Wall also faces two separate allegations of sexual assault in Colorado state court. Those pending state charges are allegations, and Wall is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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