‘Dances With Wolves’ actor Nathan Chasing Horse convicted on sexual assault charges
LAS VEGAS– A Nevada jury convicted “Dances with Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse on Friday of sexually assaulting Native women and girls in a case that sent shockwaves through Indian Country.
Jurors in Las Vegas found Chasing Horse guilty of 13 of the 21 charges against him. Most of the guilty verdicts involved Chasing Horse’s conduct with a victim who was 14 when he began molesting her. He was acquitted of some sexual assault charges even though the main victim was older and described as a wife. His sentencing is scheduled for March 11.
The verdict marked the culmination of a years-long effort to prosecute Chasing Horse after his first arrest and indictment in 2023. Prosecutors said Chasing Horse used his reputation as a Lakota healer to prey on Native women and girls.
As the verdict was read, Chasing Horse remained silent. The victims and their supporters cried and hugged each other in the hallway while wearing yellow ribbons.
William Rowles, Clark County’s chief deputy prosecutor, thanked the women who accused Chasing Horse of assault for testifying.
“I just hope that the people who have come forward over the years and filed complaints against Nathan Chasing Horse can find some peace in this matter,” he said.
Defense attorney Craig Mueller said he would file a motion for a new trial and told The Associated Press he was confused and disappointed by the jury’s verdict. He said he had “significant doubts about the sincerity of the accusations”.
“Dances with Wolves” was one of the most notable films starring Native American actors when it premiered in 1990. After Chasing Horse appeared in the Oscar-winning film, he traveled across North America and performed healing ceremonies.
Her trial comes as authorities respond more in recent years to an epidemic of violence against indigenous women.
During the three-week trial, jurors heard from three women who said Chasing Horse sexually assaulted them, some of whom were minors at the time. The jury returned guilty verdicts on some charges related to all three.
Assistant District Attorney Bianca Pucci said in closing statements Wednesday that for nearly 20 years, Chasing Horse “spun a web of abuse” that ensnared many women.
Mueller said in his closing statements that there was no evidence, including eyewitnesses. He questioned the credibility of the main accuser, describing her as a “woman scorned”.
Prosecutors have said sexual assault cases rarely have eyewitnesses and often take place behind closed doors.
The main accuser was 14 years old in 2012 when Chasing Horse allegedly told her that the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who had cancer. He then sexually assaulted her and told her that if she told anyone, her mother would die, Pucci said during his opening speech.
