Reporting Nathan Chasing Horse: Alleged victim recalls skepticism from police
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – A woman who said she is one of the victims identified in charges against Nathan Chasing Horse in Canada shared her story with the 8 News Now Investigators.
Janessa Lambert said the 'Dances with Wolves' actor sexually assaulted her in her British Columbia home in 2018 after she had broken up with him.
Las Vegas judge to allow testimony from additional alleged victims in Nathan Chasing Horse trial
'I just remember feeling like did I ask for it? Did I say that's what I wanted? What did I do to make that happen?' the 31-year-old woman told the 8 News Now Investigators via Zoom. 'I just remember feeling disgusted and gross.'
Sex abuse allegations for years: court docs in Nathan Chasing Horse case reveal criminal justice system failures
Lambert said she reported the sexual assault to police in 2022 after seeing herself in her boyfriend's child. 'I just remember looking at her and thinking, do I want her to go through the same thing that I did?' she said. 'I remember taking a deep breath and looking at my boyfriend saying I'm going to police.'
Chasing Horse pleads not guilty in Las Vegas child sex crimes case
Similar to accounts from other women and underage girls who reported Chasing Horse, 48, to police over the past two decades, action was not immediately taken. 'It wasn't promised to me that anything would come of it. I think at the time my Aboriginal police officer was skeptical of the story,' Lambert recalled. 'I just remember him looking at me and saying I'll put this through as a file number but he said I can't promise anything will happen because he lives in the States, unless he enters Canada, there is nothing we can do. I remember feeling so defeated but happy I did my part.'
Sex trafficking: Woman claims she is a survivor of 'Dances with Wolves' actor
Las Vegas Metro police arrested Chasing Horse at his North Las Vegas home in January of 2023 after two additional women told police Chasing Horse sexually assaulted them, prompting cases like Lambert's to move forward.
'I remember of just being in shock and disbelief,' Lambert said.
In addition to the Las Vegas case, there are warrants for Chasing Horse's arrest in Montana and Canada. A Clark County grand jury indicted Chasing Horse in October for 21 felony charges including 10 counts of sexual assault with a minor under 16 years of age, six counts of sexual assault, two counts of possession of visual presentation depicting sexual conduct of a child, and one count each of use of a minor under the age of 14 in producing pornography, open or gross lewdness, and first-degree kidnapping of a minor. One charge dates back to 2010, according to court documents. Two women testified in front of the grand jury that Nathan Chasing Horse used his status as a 'Medicine Man' in the Native American culture to victimize them. The 8 News Now Investigators obtained transcripts from grand jury proceedings, which also reveal challenges in communicating with a third alleged victim.
Some evidence in the case is sealed. Prosecutors said they have obtained at least two videos of Chasing Horse sexually assaulting a child.
Lambert said she first met Chasing Horse when she was 13 years old during his visit to her community for ceremonies in the indigenous culture. She said he tried to set her up with one of his 'helpers,' a much older man when she was 16 and she refused his advances. Chasing Horse then zeroed in on Lambert, she recalled and had a conversation with her mother.
'He had said that the grandfathers had made it more clear in his dreams on who would take on that responsibility and that it was me, and that the responsibility of bringing back a medicine man to our nation was gonna fall through me and that I was going to be a wife one day,' Lambert told the 8 News Now Investigators.
Chasing Horse had four wives at the time, according to Lambert. She said there appeared to be a competition to be the fifth.
'I think it shows the amount of manipulation,' she said.
Lambert witnessed Chasing Horse physically abusing the other women, she told the 8 News Now Investigators.
In 2018, after feeling a lack of love from Chasing Horse, Lambert broke up with him via text message. During a visit to her community after the breakup, she said Chasing Horse gave her an unwelcome kiss, and during the next visit, he sexually assaulted her.
Lambert said she believed Chasing Horse groomed her.
'People always ask how did we get sucked in. Me and my family are really smart. We're very caring people. My mom has years of schooling. She has a lot of certificates under her belt. I have my Masters of Education now,' she said. 'But what he really worked at was that cultural yearning. He really exploited that and so I think he looked for families that were really yearning to have that connection.'
Like other women who have reported that Chasing Horse sexually abused them, Lambert is hoping Chasing Horse is held accountable through Nevada's justice system.
A jury trial is scheduled in Las Vegas for April 14, while Chasing Horse's next court appearance is April 7.
To reach investigative reporter Vanessa Murphy, email vmurphy@8newsnow.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Decomposing body found in central Las Vegas valley apartment after report of foul odor
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A report of a foul odor coming from a central Las Vegas valley apartment led to the discovery of a decomposing body Monday, according to Metro police. Police responded to the 1400 block of East Katie Avenue near Maryland Parkway after a person reported a foul odor coming from an apartment. When officers entered the apartment, they found a decomposing body. The manner and cause of death was unclear as of Monday night. This is an ongoing investigation, stay with 8 News Now for updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Emmy Voters: Don't Forget About Zahn McClarnon and ‘Dark Winds': He's Your Next Leading Man
The third season of 'Dark Winds' might be one of its best yet. In the latest season, Zahn McClarnon's Joe Leaphorn is tracking down a missing Native teenager who goes missing after his friend is murdered. At home, his wife Emma (Deanna Allison) is struggling to forgive him and decides to leave. Amid it all, Leaphorn is facing generational trauma and confronting his past. More from Variety Short and Sweet: From 'Adolescence' to 'Sirens,' This Season's Best New Shows Are Barely Longer Than a Movie Limited Series Writers on the Impact of Casting, Writing Emotional Journeys, and Finding a Tonal Balance David E. Kelley on Shaping 'Presumed Innocent' With Ruth Negga's Barbara as the Killer - Then Changing the Ending After Filming Began Although the show has largely gone unrecognized by Emmy voters, there's still time to consider the AMC thriller and McClarnon's performance when it comes to drama categories. Take episode 6, which revolves around a ketamine fever dream that sees Joe transported back in time, threading together three narrative threads: the traditional Navajo story of the Hero Twins facing the Ye'iitsoh; Joe's present-day confrontation with a monster that's been haunting him throughout Season 3; and the revelation of a deeply personal childhood trauma. McClarnon says it was satisfying to explore that aspect of the character. 'I find it cathartic to tap into some of that stuff that I went through as a kid, which was very similar. I enjoy that process as an actor and that's why I wanted to be an actor,' he said at an FYC panel and a later interview. The actor, who is Hunkpapa Lakota, knew how authenticity was important to the creative team and showrunners. And for certain scenes, he had to learn Diné, the Navajo language. Cultural consultants on the show helped ensure the pronunciation was correct, but it wasn't easy. McClarnon says it would often take a few weeks 'to learn a couple of lines.' Though McClarnon is always reserved, his performance in this season particularly is also filled with emotion. In the season finale, his eyes tell the story as he sits there wordless with his world falling apart, and he learns of Emma's feelings towards him. McClarnon has led 'Dark Winds' for three seasons. In season four, he'll get to direct. Yet, he doesn't consider himself a leading man. 'I don't,' he replies when asked about it. 'I know that I can be number one on a TV show. I can be an EP and direct at the same time. I have that skill,' he says. McClarnon, who starred in the 2005 TNT series, 'Into the West' and later in 2009's 'Not Forgotten' is overdue for lead awards attention. His performance as Joe Leaphorn has proven he can carry a series, with the complexity to peel back the layers. Though he starred in 'Reservation Dogs,' which had comedic elements, he's not sure about taking on a rom-com. He laughs, 'I don't know if I can be a romantic comedy leading man.' But McClarnon won't rule it out. 'We'll see what happens,' he says. Television Academy voters, it's your move to spotlight McClarnon and show him he's got everything it takes to lead the way. Best of Variety 'Blue Velvet,' 'Chinatown' and 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' Arrive on 4K in June All the Godzilla Movies Ranked 'House of the Dragon': Every Character and What You Need to Know About the 'Game of Thrones' Prequel
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Route 66: The Arizona Sidewinder, wild burros and a living statue
KINGMAN, Arizona — There is a roughly 8-mile section of Route 66 at the western edge of this state that is considered to be one of the most scenic and white-knuckled drives this country has to offer. It's known as the Arizona Sidewinder, or to locals, simply, The Sidewinder. Eastbound Route 66 leaves California and crosses the Colorado River into Arizona, where it unfurls like a ribbon of pavement approaching the Black Mountains. A Mojave County worker in a small plow truck cleaned debris from the previous night's storm as the two-lane road ascended 2,700 feet to Oatman. Local lore says the town was named in honor of Olive Oatman, an Illinois woman whose family was killed by a Native American tribe in the area and who, the story goes, was eventually adopted and raised by a different tribe. Gold brought the miners who eventually created Oatman, and those miners brought burros to haul rock, water and supplies. When the mines closed, the animals were released into the wild. Several decades later, they've become a popular attraction in town. Shops sell approved pellets and warn visitors against feeding them carrots. On the outskirts, they can bring traffic to a standstill by congregating in the roadway and approaching the open windows of tourists hoping for a photo. People meandered down Oatman's main drag lined with shops selling T-shirts, Arizona honey and 'real American turquoise.' At the center of the road, a group of maybe 50 converged to watch two men recreate a gunfight between 'Outlaw Willie' and 'Patton.' The outlaw lost — his second defeat of the day (the first being when his wireless microphone kept cutting out). Willie (real name Rod Hall, 80) and Patton (Chris Marshman, 70) live in nearby Fort Mojave and have been performing for visitors for 31 years and 25 years, respectively. The gunfight, they say, raises money for Shriners International. Exiting Oatman, Route 66 morphs into The Sidewinder. This serpentine portion of the road is reported to contain nearly 200 curves, many of them perched precariously on cliff edges absent guardrails. Travelers are warned not to attempt to navigate them in vehicles longer than 40 feet. As the road climbed to Sitgreaves Pass, elevation 3,586 feet, the views from a scenic overlook were made more profound by the discovery of a make-shift cemetery with dozens of memorials to deceased loved ones whose cremations were scattered at the site. Ginny died at the age of 95. Jeremy at 14. About 25 miles east of Sitgreaves sits the city of Kingman, population 35,000. Outside the city's railroad museum along its vibrant Route 66 corridor is a bronze statue to Jim Hinckley, an author, historian, tour guide, podcaster, consultant and raconteur. 'I wish they would have waited until I was dead,' joked Hinckley, 68, his face flushed with embarrassment under his wide-brimed cowboy hat. 'It's like attending my own funeral every time I come down here.' Born on the North Carolina coast, Hinckley said his dad, a Navy and Coast Guard veteran, moved the family outside Kingman after throwing a dart at a paper map he folded to ensure it would land nowhere near water. A professional path as winding as The Sidewinder — he's been a rancher, a miner, a rodeo cowboy, a repo man, a truck driver and a mechanic — led him to writing, first about American automobile history and then Route 66. Hinckley helped curate a self-guided walking tour of the city's historic district and provides audio narrations of the sites via a QR code on plaques. One tells the story of a former rodeo grounds on the route where, before the road was designated Route 66, the Chicago Cubs played two exhibition games: One in 1917 against a local team and the second in 1924 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. 'Pretty much everything in my life is tied to this road,' he said. 'I learned to ride a bicycle, learned to drive on this. My early ranch work was on this road. Courting my wife was tied to this road. It's the American experience made manifest. For me, it's just the evolution of myself as well as this country.'
