17-year-old Duluth boy charged in death of Floodwood woman

A 17-year-old Duluth boy was charged today with second-degree murder for his alleged role in the slaying of a 25-year-old Floodwood woman.

Joseph Allen Yellow Jr. is accused of assisting Michael William Siewert in the murder of Cristyna Leah Watson, whose body was found on Oct. 4 on property off Reservation Road outside Cloquet. A medical examiner determined that she died as a result of “homicidal violence.”

According to the juvenile delinquency petition charging Yellow, the teenager told investigators that he was with Michael William Siewert, 22 — who authorities have identified as a gang member of the Native Mob — and the victim when Siewert pulled the vehicle he was driving to the side of the road and they exited the vehicle.

Yellow said he saw Siewert strike Watson in the head with a hammer and he assisted with the killing by manually strangling the victim before the two alleged assailants concealed her body. The petition states that the blunt force trauma to the victim’s head was not fatal.

Numerous items of physical evidence and statements from other witnesses corroborate the time line and circumstances surrounding the murder and Yellow’s role in the slaying, authorities said.

Siewert was arrested Oct. 4 on an unrelated charge in connection with allegedly shooting a man in the foot on the Fond du Lac Reservation in August as punishment for “certain gang-related activity.” He’s also expected to be charged with murder today.

Watson was last seen by family members on Sept. 8 and had been the subject of a Missing Person Bulletin issued by the Floodwood Police Department.

The Pine Journal and the Duluth News Tribune are Forum Communications Co. newspapers.

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