A former resident of Adair County, Oklahoma, has been arrested in connection with a 1999 murder case that took place within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Timothy Jacob Hollan, 73, from Miller, Missouri, was taken into custody in Kansas City, Kansas. He faces federal charges including Murder in Indian Country and Causing the Death of Another Person during a violation involving a firearm. If convicted, Hollan could face the death penalty or life imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.
According to the indictment, Hollan is accused of willfully and deliberately killing an Indigenous victim in September 1999 in Adair County. The indictment further alleges that he used and discharged a firearm during this act.
The investigation involved multiple agencies: the 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 the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In November 2023, deputies found the victim’s remains in 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, commented on the efforts behind such investigations: “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,” said Kirkland. “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.
