Nightwalker Bound Over To District Court

Bird Roy Nightwalker, 39, of Clinton, Oklahoma, appeared in Jefferson County Court on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, in the custody of the Jefferson County Sheriff's office. Linda Bauer was the presiding judge.Nightwalker is charged with theft by unlawful taking, with a value greater than $5,000, making the charge a class 2A felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. He is accused of allegedly stealing a Sheriff's vehicle from the parking lot of the Jefferson County Law Enforcement Center.Because the charge is a felony, the defendant has the right to a preliminary hearing, to determine if there is sufficient evidence to transfer the case over to district court, where felonies are heard. At a previous hearing on February 2, 2022, the defendant's attorney, public defender Scott Gropp, indicated his client wished for his case to remain in county court, “As the court's aware, we don't have a district court judge on a fairly regular basis, and if there is any possibility that we can work something out for bond, either reduction or some type of pretrial release for treatment for Mr. Nightwalker's alcohol issues, then we'd like to keep it in county court so that we have a judge who's more available.”Jefferson County's District Court judge, Vicky Johnson, retired at the end of January, 2022. Until a new judge is found, Jefferson County will have to rely on judges from other counties.”Jefferson County is now being served by District Court Judge Julie D. Smith until a permanent replacement can be found.Nightwalker waived his right to a preliminary hearing and was bound over to district court.The defendant remains in custody on a $50,000 (10 percent) bond. Nightwalker is currently being held at the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services in Lincoln, which houses inmates from other counties for a variety of reasons. The Jefferson County Jail is a minimum to medium security facility which is not equipped to handle a high-risk inmate.The Alleged IncidentAt approximately 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 18, 2021, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office was contacted by the Grundy County Sheriff's Office (GSCO) in Missouri about a Jefferson County Patrol vehicle that had been parked and abandoned on the side of the road outside of Trenton, Missouri.According to a press release from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, “It was then realized that a spare patrol vehicle, one that was not actively driven by a deputy, was missing from the parking lot of the Jefferson County Law Enforcement Center. With the assistance of the Jefferson County Computer IT department, we were able to retrieve clear footage of the incident.”Surveillance revealed that, on the evening before, December 17, at approximately 9:30 p.m., a male suspect on foot attempted to gain access to vehicles around the Law Enforcement Center building before entering a patrol vehicle and eventually driving away.A surveillance photo was circulated on social media. The GSCO warned the public, “If you see the suspect, do not try to apprehend him but please call 911.”After a joint investigation with GSCO, the suspect was identified as Bird Roy Nightwalker, of Oklahoma. At 12:57 p.m., GSCO posted an that included a description of the suspect as Native American, age 39, 6 feet 4 inches in height and weighing 230 pounds. GSCO also warned, “Nightwalker has an extensive criminal history and is known to be violent. If you see Nightwalker do not try to apprehend him, but call 911. In addition, please make sure your home and vehicles are secure and check on friends and family in the area.”The suspect's criminal history includes charges in Oklahoma and Montana.Jefferson County Sheriff Nick Georgi said, “It (the vehicle) was found during the investigation Nightwalker had an acquaintance in Trenton, Missouri. We believe the patrol vehicle ran out of gas, resulting in Nightwalker abandoning the patrol vehicle and meeting up with his acquaintance until eventually turning himself in to the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office.”Nightwalker waived extradition and was transferred to the custody of Jefferson County.The vehicle has been returned to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff noted, “There is minor damage to the vehicle where it appears he side swiped a pole but the vehicle is still operational.”

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