Timothy Jacob Hollan, 73, of Miller, Missouri, was arrested in Kansas City, Kansas, on a federal warrant related to the 1999 murder of an Indigenous person in Adair County, Oklahoma. The arrest follows a grand jury indictment charging Hollan with Murder in Indian Country and Causing the Death of Another Person during a violation involving a firearm. Both charges carry potential penalties including life imprisonment or the death penalty and fines up to $250,000.
According to the indictment, Hollan is accused of unlawfully killing the victim with premeditation and malice in September 1999 within Cherokee Nation Reservation boundaries. He is also alleged to have used and discharged a firearm during the commission of this crime.
The investigation involved multiple agencies: Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit (BIA MMU), Adair County Sheriff’s Department, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. In November 2023, deputies recovered the victim’s remains from an abandoned well in rural Adair County. DNA analysis confirmed the identity earlier this year.
Billy Kirkland, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior stated: “The Missing and Murdered Unit was established by President Trump during his first term to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous persons, ensuring that unresolved cases receive renewed attention and investigative resources. This joint investigation exemplifies the BIA Missing and Murdered Unit’s efforts to bring justice, accountability, and closure to families impacted by violence in Indian Country. By working closely with tribal communities, federal law enforcement, and local partners, we are honoring victims and strengthening public safety.”
Authorities emphasized that an indictment is not evidence of guilt; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
