FORT HALL — The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes announced on Thursday that the man allegedly responsible for severely beating a Missouri truck driver in September has been arrested after confessing to the crime.
Stormy Adakai, 23, of Fort Hall, has been charged with one count of aggravated assault and one count of robbery, both felonies, according to Pat Teton, chief of the Fort Hall Police.
“Through our investigation work, we discovered that Stormy Adakai was identified, the same night of the assault, to have been at a residence with blood on his face and clothes and told a witness that he assaulted a truck driver with a rock,” Teton said in Thursday news release.
During questioning from the Fort Hall Police and FBI, Adakai admitted to assaulting Amos Phillips, the Missouri-based truck driver, at the TP Truck Stop off of Interstate 15 on Sept. 3 in an attempt to get money from Phillips, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes said in a Thursday news release.
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes say the case will be forwarded to the Tribal Prosecutor’s Office for charges in Tribal Court and to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office for federal charges.
Information about the brutal attack that left Phillips hospitalized with several broken facial bones was never released to the public until he told his story to the media last month.
Phillips, who has worked for the Missouri-based JWE Inc. trucking company for many years, had been on the road for several hours when he parked his tractor-trailer in the parking lot of the TP Truck Stop in Fort Hall on Sept. 2.
After spending a few hours gambling in the nearby casino, Phillips retired to the sleeper cab of his semi, locked the doors and dozed off while listening to the radio.
At about 2:30 a.m. Sept. 3, Labor Day, Phillips was suddenly stirred awake by what he described as a large Native American man standing over him demanding money.
When Phillips refused to give the man, identified as Adakai, any money, Adakai allegedly began pummeling Phillips in the face with rocks in his hands. Eventually, Phillips was able to kick Adakai out of his truck and Adakai ran off into the darkness.
Phillips said Adakai did not take anything valuable from him but did leave behind a ball cap inside the truck. The cap has been sent to a forensics lab for further testing. The results for those tests have not been returned.
Adakai also admitted to owning the black ball cap that was found at the scene, according to the release.
Bloodied and confused, Phillips dialed 911 and woke up a nearby truck driver to provide the emergency dispatcher on the phone with his location. Fort Hall tribal police and emergency medical services responded to the truck stop.
Phillips was transported by ambulance to Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, where he received treatment for a broken nose, broken cheekbones and a blood clot on his brain. His injuries were severe enough that he remained at the hospital for three days.
Once back home in Camdenton, Phillips experienced convulsions and seizures and had trouble standing up. Because of complications stemming from the attack, Phillips spent an additional four days in a hospital in Osage Beach, Missouri.
Phillips told the Journal last month that doctors have told him the blood clot between two lobes in his brain could have lasting effects on his health. Phillips says the clot has affected the entire left side of his body and his equilibrium. At this point, doctors have told him that he may be on medication for life and that he may never be able to drive a truck again.
On Thursday, Phillips was both grateful and somewhat remorseful that the man who allegedly attacked him had been arrested and charged.
“At least the police department finally woke up and did their job, even though it took the FBI to step in to get it done,” Phillips said. “I feel sorry for the guy because I am sure he is going to be behind bars for quite some time. I hope that he takes that time to get right with God.”
Phillips said that he still remains out of work, adding that he has about $30,000 of medical bills to pay and no means to do so.
To offer some relief for Phillips, the owner of JWE Inc., John Williams, created an online fundraiser accessible by visiting bit.ly/2z5D2Pr. As of Thursday evening, a total of $5,665 has been raised.
Though he criticized the Fort Hall Police Department, Phillips says he holds no resentment for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes.
“I don’t feel any ill feelings toward the (Native American) tribe at all — at least they did finally arrest the guy,” Phillips said.
Williams echoed Phillips’ sentiments, adding that he will not give Adakai the $1,000 reward he was offering for the arrest and conviction of the man responsible for the attack just because he confessed.
“Several Native American people contacted us and said they don’t want this to be a reflection of their entire tribe,” Williams said. “None of us think that. And to tell you the truth, if this guy would have asked Amos for some money and said he was having a hard time, Amos would have probably handed him $20 or $50.”
Williams continued, “I honestly thought the guy would never get caught. To say I am happy and excited would be an understatement.”