Left: Amanda Davis (via GoFundMe). Right: Michael Burciaga (via Washoe County (Nev.) Sheriff’s Office)
A 36-year-old man in Nevada will spend the remainder of his days behind bars for killing his girlfriend — who was pregnant with his child — after beating down the door she had barricaded shut and viciously stabbing her to death while her children tried to fight him off.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Miranda M. Du on Monday ordered Michael Joshua Burciaga to serve a sentence of life in a federal prison for the December 2020 slaying of Amanda Davis and their unborn child, authorities announced.
A federal jury in Indian Country previously found Burciaga guilty on one count each of first-degree murder and domestic assault by a habitual offender, as well as a violation of the Protection of Unborn Children Act.
Because Burciaga was convicted in federal criminal court, he will have no opportunity for parole.
“Today’s sentencing ends a tragic story of cold-blooded murder,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans said in a statement following the sentencing hearing. “While life in prison will not undo the crime committed by Mr. Burciaga, it will prevent him from victimizing anyone on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation again. I appreciate the work of our investigators and tribal partners ensuring violent offenders such as this are held accountable, and residents can feel safe in their homes.”
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, officers with the Pyramid Lake Police Department at about 12:15 a.m. responded to an emergency call from the victim’s 15-year-old daughter at a home located in the 500 block of Tule Street in the northern Nevada town of Nixon. The home sits within the seat of tribal government for the Paiute Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation.
Upon arriving at the address, first responders immediately found Davis’ three children in the front room; Davis, a registered member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, was found lying facedown in the master bathroom. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
A short while later, police said the children all started screaming, “He’s back! He’s back!.” Outside of the residence, police located an adult male, later identified as Burciaga, who was bleeding from his wrist.
“I know what I did. That’s why I came back,” Burciaga told police. “I already know what happened, and I know what I did, which is why I slit my wrist.”
Burciaga was taken into custody and transported to the Renown Medical Center via ambulance for treatment before being booked into jail.
Police then interviewed Davis’ three children, who provided a harrowing tale as they fought for their mother’s life against the much larger Burciaga.
Davis’ daughter said her 8-year-old younger brother woke her up around midnight to tell her that Burciaga had stabbed their mother. They found her alive in a bedroom and barricaded the door with a dresser. However, Burciaga beat down the top of the door with his bare hands and dragged Davis into the master bathroom.
“Burciaga then proceeded to stab [Davis] with a blue knife with a flower design on it,” the daughter told police, per the affidavit.
The daughter struck Burciaga with a lamp but was unable to get him to stop hurting Davis, who even went into the kitchen and came back with a second knife and continued stabbing Davis, ultimately killing her.
“Today’s sentence illustrates our collaborative efforts to ensuring justice for the victim and holding the defendant accountable for his heinous crime,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada Jason M. Frierson said in a statement. “The Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) crisis is a priority for the Department of Justice and we will continue to work alongside Tribes and law enforcement partners in the pursuit of justice.”
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