Man Found Guilty Of Murder In Fatal Stabbing Of Pregnant Indigenous Woman

A Nevada man was found guilty on Thursday for the murder of his pregnant girlfriend, who was an Indigenous woman, and their unborn child in 2020.

Federal prosecutors on Friday announced the conviction of Michael Burciaga on charges of first-degree murder, violating the Protection of Unborn Children Act and domestic assault by a habitual offender. He was found guilty of stabbing his girlfriend Amanda Davis, a registered member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, multiple times, which led to the death of her and her unborn son, whom she planned to name Ezra.

Hundreds of people gathered for a vigil following Davis’ death in December 2020, seeking to bring awareness to missing and murdered Indigenous women and domestic violence.

According to federal investigators’ affidavit, police responded to a call from Davis’ 15-year-old daughter just after midnight on Dec. 15 to report that her mom had been stabbed by her boyfriend inside their home on the Pyramid Lake reservation in Nixon. 

When officers and medical personnel arrived, Davis’ three children were taken to the front room of the home, and she was found dead in the primary bedroom.

Shortly after, Burciaga arrived back at the home with cuts on his hands and wrist and told officers, “I know what I did. That’s why I came back,” authorities said. 

According to the affidavit, Burciaga asked officers multiple times about his girlfriend’s condition and told them she was pregnant with his child. 

In an interview with police, Davis’ daughter said her 8-year-old brother had woken her up around midnight to tell her that Burciaga had stabbed their mother, authorities said. The children found their mother still alive in the primary bedroom and barricaded the door with a dresser.

Burciaga soon broke through the top half of the door, and Davis grabbed a baseball bat and began hitting his hand to stop him from entering the room, but he eventually broke through, the affidavit said. 

Davis’ daughter attempted to fight off her mother’s attacker with a lamp, but she was unsuccessful, and he continued to stab Davis repeatedly, the affidavit said.  

Burciaga is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 25 and faces a minimum sentence of life in prison. 

According to a GoFundMe fundraiser created by a cousin to support Davis’ immediate family financially, she was preparing to give birth to her son in February 2021.

“Amanda was a devoted mother and fought tirelessly to protect them,” the fundraiser stated. 

On Friday, a post on the Pyramid Lake Facebook page grieved Davis in response to Burciaga’s conviction.

“You are missed everyday, Amanda Davis; the community still grieves your absence. If only we had a chance to meet Ezra,” the post read. “Your children and your family are doing their best, and we’re proud of their accomplishments.” 

According to data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 3 women have reported being the victim of physical violence from their intimate partner in their lifetime. 

Research by the American College of Gynecologist and Obstetricians found that 324,000 pregnant women are abused each year in the US. Homicide is the leading cause of death for pregnant women and in most cases is committed by an intimate partner.   

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline .