Landmark Verdict: Nathan Chasing Horse Convicted in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS — A decade-long shadow over Indian Country began to lift late Friday as a Nevada jury delivered a landmark conviction against Nathan Chasing Horse, the former actor best known for his role in the 1990 Oscar-winning film Dances With Wolves. After an 11-day trial at the Clark County Regional Justice Center, jurors found Chasing Horse guilty on 13 of 21 charges, including the sexual assault of Indigenous women and girls.

The verdict, read in a hushed courtroom, marks the culmination of a high-profile legal battle that began with a dramatic SWAT raid on Chasing Horse’s North Las Vegas home in early 2023.

A “Web of Abuse” Unveiled

Throughout the trial, prosecutors argued that Chasing Horse, 49, leveraged his Hollywood fame and his self-proclaimed status as a Lakota medicine man to gain the trust of vulnerable families. Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told the jury that Chasing Horse “spun a web of abuse” for nearly 20 years, using spiritual manipulation to silence his victims.

The most harrowing testimony came from a primary accuser who was just 14 years old when the abuse began in 2012. She testified that Chasing Horse told her the “spirits” demanded she surrender her virginity to him to cure her mother’s cancer.

The Defense and Acquittals

The jury’s decision was nuanced. While they convicted Chasing Horse on the most severe charges involving minors and the production of sexual materials, he was acquitted on several counts involving adult women who lived with him as “spiritual wives.”

Defense attorney Craig Mueller argued that the accusations were the result of “scorned women” and maintained that the encounters were consensual within their communal living arrangement. Following the verdict, Mueller expressed disappointment and confirmed his intent to file a motion for a new trial, citing “meaningful doubts about the sincerity of the accusations.”

Impact on Indian Country

For many Indigenous advocates, the conviction is seen as a rare victory in the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). Survivors and supporters gathered in the hallway of the courthouse, wearing yellow ribbons and embracing as the news spread.

“Today’s verdict sends a clear message that exploitation and abuse will not be tolerated, regardless of the defendant’s public persona or claims of spiritual authority,” said Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson in a post-trial statement.

What’s Next?

Eighth District Judge Jessica Peterson ordered Chasing Horse into the immediate custody of the Nevada Department of Corrections. He faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison, with the possibility of a life sentence depending on the final sentencing hearing.

Formal sentencing is scheduled for March 11, 2026. Additionally, Chasing Horse still faces separate criminal charges in Montana and British Columbia, Canada, which authorities say will be addressed once the Nevada proceedings are finalized.