LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A judge on Monday sentenced a 36-year-old Nevada man to life in prison — plus 20 years — after he was convicted in June of killing his pregnant girlfriend in her home on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation in Northern Nevada.

A jury convicted Michael Burciaga of stabbing 37-year-old Amanda Davis to death shortly after midnight on Dec. 15, 2020. Pyramid Lake police responded to an emergency call from the victim’s daughter at a home in Nixon, a small town in Washoe County.

The unborn baby also died when Burciaga stabbed Davis multiple times, according to court documents presented at the trial. He was convicted on June 23, 2023, on charges of first degree murder within Indian Country, a violation of the Protection of Unborn Children Act, and domestic assault by a habitual offender Within Indian Country, according to a Monday news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Chief United States District Judge Miranda M. Du sentenced Burciaga today.

Burciaga has prior convictions for domestic assault in Becker County, Minn., domestic battery in Fernley and battery and domestic battery in Sparks.

“Today’s sentencing ends a tragic story of cold-blooded murder,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans said. “While life in prison will not undo the crime committed by Mr. Burciaga, it will prevent him from victimizing anyone on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation again.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and Pyramid Lake Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Penelope Brady, Megan Rachow, and Richard Casper prosecuted the case.

“The Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) crisis is a priority for the Department of Justice and we will continue to work alongside Tribes and law enforcement partners in the pursuit of justice,” U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada said.

For additional information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/mmip.

For a list of local and state resources for domestic violence and abuse victims, visit this link.