Prison term for ‘Dances With Wolves’ actor Nathan Chasing Horse marks grim end to Nevada case
LAS VEGAS — A Nevada judge sentenced Nathan Chasing Horse to life in prison on Monday after a jury convicted the former actor on 13 charges tied mostly to the sexual assault of three women. The prison sentence came in a case that centered on accusations that he exploited trust, faith, and spiritual authority.
Life sentence handed down in Las Vegas
Judge Jessica Peterson imposed the sentence in Las Vegas after hearing from accusers and their families, who said they continue to live with the trauma. Chasing Horse, 49, wore a navy blue Clark County Detention Center uniform, stared straight ahead during the statements, and remained silent as he was escorted from the courtroom.
He will be eligible for parole after serving 37 years. He has continued to deny the charges and told the judge, “This is a miscarriage of justice. ” Peterson said she was struck by his denial despite the evidence presented at trial. Before announcing the sentence, she told him, “You preyed on these women’s trusts and their spirituality, and you manipulated them for your own personal gratification. ”
Victims describe lasting damage from the prison case
Corena Leone-LaCroix, who said she was 14 when Chasing Horse assaulted her, gave one of the most painful accounts in court. “There is no way to get back the youth, the childhood loss, my first time, my first kiss, the graduation I never got to have, ” she said. “The life that little girl could have lived has been taken from me forever. ”
Family members also told the court that they continue to struggle with the damage left behind. More than a dozen people in the courtroom clapped after the hearing ended, underscoring the emotional weight of a prison case that had stretched on for years.
What prosecutors said at trial
Nevada prosecutors said Chasing Horse used his reputation as a Lakota medicine man to prey on Indigenous women and girls. Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told jurors that for almost 20 years he “spun a web of abuse” that ensnared many women. Jurors heard from three women who said Chasing Horse assaulted them.
The court hearing closed one major phase of a yearslong effort to prosecute the former actor after his arrest and indictment in 2023. The prison sentence also followed a conviction that prosecutors said reflected the scale and persistence of the conduct laid out in trial.
Other cases remain open beyond the prison ruling
The fallout from the case has extended beyond Nevada. British Columbia prosecutors said Chasing Horse was charged in February 2023 over an alleged offense said to have taken place in September 2018 near Keremeos, about four hours east of Vancouver. That case paused in November 2023 because of the U. S. charges, then resumed the following year.
A warrant also remains outstanding in Alberta, where the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service said it is in contact with the Alberta Crown Prosecutors Office. In Nevada, the prison sentence closes a major courtroom chapter, but the wider legal picture for Chasing Horse is still not fully resolved.
After his appeals are exhausted, British Columbia prosecutors said they will assess next steps. For now, the prison sentence stands as the central outcome in a case that has left victims, families, and multiple justice systems awaiting what comes next.
