In a tragic case of domestic violence, Michael Burciaga has been found guilty of first-degree murder, violating the Protection of Unborn Children Act, and domestic assault by a habitual offender. Burciaga was convicted for the murder of his pregnant girlfriend, Amanda Davis and their unborn child in 2020. The victim was a registered member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.
According to federal investigators, police received a call from Davis’ 15-year-old daughter on December 15, 2020, reporting that her mother had been stabbed by her boyfriend inside their home on the Pyramid Lake reservation in Nixon. When officers arrived, they found Davis dead in the primary bedroom, and her three children were taken to the front room of the home. Burciaga arrived back at the home shortly after with cuts on his hands and wrist and confessed to the crime.
Burciaga had stabbed Davis multiple times, leading to the death of her and her unborn son, whom she planned to name Ezra. Davis’ daughter said her 8-year-old brother had woken her up around midnight to tell her that Burciaga had stabbed their mother. The children found their mother still alive in the primary bedroom and barricaded the door with a dresser. Burciaga 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 and continued to stab Davis repeatedly.
Following Davis’ death, hundreds of people gathered for a vigil to bring awareness to missing and murdered Indigenous women and domestic violence. Burciaga is scheduled to be sentenced on September 25 and faces a minimum sentence of life in prison.
The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe expressed their grief on Facebook, stating that they still mourn Davis’ absence and wished they had a chance to meet Ezra.