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Levi Levering(about 1860-unknown)

Respected Omaha Tribe leader. First Native American commissioner to thePresbyterian general assembly in 1911. “The presbytery knew what it wasdoing when it chose Mr. Levering, as a man better qualified to represent it

would be hard to find,” The World-Herald wrote.

MEET THELEVERINGS

Vena Bartlett Levering(unknown-1910)

From the Bannock Tribe.Married Levi Levering whilehe was teaching at Fort Hall,Idaho. Died of typhoid feverin Nebraska, leaving behindher husband and five young

children.

Lincoln Levering(about 1900-1956)

Accused of fatally beating a manin 1944 in Omaha after the man’sfriend made a racist comment in abar. Levering admitted he hit the manbut was acquitted after the defenseargued someone else must have alsopunched the man. Accused in 1956of pushing his wife off a second-storybalcony, breaking her back. Arrested;unclear whether charged. Died a fewmonths later when hit by a car.

ElizabethWebsterLevering(1912-1956)

Died soonafter herhusband, ofcomplicationsfrom thebroken back.Her childrengrew up inmissionschools.

Nelson B. Levering Sr.(1926-2005)

Famous boxer from Macy, Neb.;1947 Midwest Golden GlovesChampion and Kansas State

Welterweight Champion. Inductedinto American Indian Hall of Fame inKansas. Fought on a boxing card withJoe Louis. After his boxing careerwas over he worked at the OmahaTribe’s education department.

Norma Ann Levering(1939-2009)

Moved to Omaha after her parents died; severalsisters followed. Convicted of robbery in her early20s. Shot at age 31. Later became active in NativeAmerican community in Omaha and was elected toseveral boards. Mother of nine. Dropped off son

Garland, wrapped in a blanket, with her sister Adelineand briefly moved to Denver. “My grandma was a party-hard little lady,” said granddaughter Lori Sayles.

MaxineLevering(1943-2004)

Grew up onthe OmahaReservation.No criminalrecord.

LucilleBordeaux(1946-)

Grew up onthe OmahaReservation.Brought upin a missionafter herparents died.Later movedto Minnesota,then Omaha.

PhyllisWagner65

Grew up onthe OmahaReservation.Brought up ina mission afterher parents died.Later movedto Omaha. Herhusband, Arnett,raised theirchildren.

DelphineLevering(1950-2002)

Grew up onthe Omaha

Reservation. Stayedin amission afterher parents died.Later moved to

Omaha. Found guiltyof child abuse in1997. Was raisingher grandchildrenwhen she died, andthen they went intofoster care.

David A.Magee Sr.(1951-2009)

Hadrelationshipswith LoriJenkins andIda Levering,who bothalleged hebeat them

while they werepregnant. “Meand (Magee),we had a lot ofviolence in ourrelationship,”Lori Jenkinssaid. Convictedof a 1978manslaughter,but convictionlater set aside.

GarlandLevering Sr.

57

Raised by hisaunt Adeline.

RobertLincolnLevering53

Has about 30convictionsdating backto the 1980s,including forfelonies suchas burglary,theft andunlawfultransportof firearms.Currentlyservingtime for

shoplifting andobstructing anofficer.

WarrenLevering51

Grew up infoster careafter beinggiven up foradoption. Methis sister,Lori, when hewas 16. Hasserved prisonsentences inNebraska andelsewhere,includingOklahoma,where he wasconvicted ofassault witha dangerousweapon,kidnappingand domesticabuse in2009.Currentlycharged withfirst-degreemurder of

Andrea Kruger.

JamesJenkins48

Convicted oftwo felonytheft chargesin the 1980sand abouta dozen

misdemeanorssince. Mostrecentlychargedwith missingchild supportpayments.

Lori Jenkins47

Convicted of eight nonviolentcrimes and one felony

shoplifting charge, in 1997.Had first child when she was16 and her boyfriend, DavidMagee, was 31. Each hasfiled at least one protectionorder against the other.Has worked as nurse’sassistant and telemarketer.Currently charged with beingan accessory in three ofthe homicides in the NikkoJenkins case; she deniesany involvement.

Constance“Connie”Levering47

Connie wasarrested onsuspicion ofstabbing hersister Toniain the neck in1996. Chargeswere laterdropped.

JeffreyJenkins45

Convicted of65 crimes,mostly trafficcases and

misdemeanors.Servedprison timein five cases,including fordrug dealingand theft.

ToniaLevering43

Fined orsentencedto jail orprobationfor 11 theftchargessince 1990.Convicted ofassault andbattery in2011.

SoniaLevering43

Handful ofcriminalconvictions,mostly alcohol-related. Sheand her sister,Tonia, are oneof several setsof twins in thefamily.

MerwynLevering42

Shot aman in1989 at age18. In and outof prisonmostof his adult life.Was caughtin 1993 witha car stolenfrom then-Gov.Ben Nelson’sgarage.Arrested in1999 forpunching awoman. Afterkicking out thepolice cruiserwindow andescaping, hewas foundhiding in adoghouse.Later convictedof felony

escape and twomisdemeanors.Currentlyseven yearsinto a 21-yearfederal prisonsentencefor firearmsoffenses.

BonitaLeveringMartinez41

Helped raiseher nephewJimmyLevering.Moved toDenver afterJimmy died.Steppedinto familymatriarchrole afterher motherand someaunts died.Completedher GED andattendedMetropolitanCommunityCollege.

IdaLevering41

Lengthy list ofmisdemeanors.She, DavidMagee andhis son wereaccusedof beating,stabbing andshooting amanin 1998. Shewas convictedof use of aweapon tocommit afelony. Thenext year herchildren wereremoved fromthe home aftera daughterwas born withcocaine in hersystem. Gavebirth the nextyear to a sonwho also hadcocaine inhis system.She says shewas dealingwith alcoholproblems atthe time.

RobertWagner37

Suing the Cityof Omahaand Omahapolice officers,alleging officersused excessiveforce whilearresting himat CreightonUniversity

Medical Centerthe night JimmyLevering waskilled in 2011.Convictedof assaultand batteryin 1998 andpossessing,receiving ordisposing of astolen firearmin 2008.This year helaunchedKeep NorthOmaha Safefor Everyone,which patrolsnorth Omahaneighborhoodsto try to detergang violence.

ChristineBordeaux39

Gave birth toa daughterin 2002 withcocaine in hersystem. Babywas removedfrom the hometemporarily.Sanctionedby the OmahaHousingAuthority in2009 becauseher son anda friend wereshooting a BBgun at people.Convictedof nearly30 crimes,including

three felonies.Charged withconspiracyto commitrobbery inconnectionwith the NikkoJenkins case.

Toni E.Levering37

Left her twoyoung childrenwithoutsupervisionat a friend’strailer inLexington,Neb., in 2001.Relinquishedparental rightsin August2002. Sonborn withfetal alcoholsyndrome.Served almostsix months injail this yearfor domesticassaultagainst herboyfriend.Convictedof carryinga concealedweapon in2010.

SophiaJenkins30

Helped raiseher siblingswhile her momwas working.Criminalhistory

involves onlymisdemeanors,mostly drug-related. Hertwo childrenare beingraised by theirfather.

AliciaLeveringWatkins39

Married to Dr.Sanford Watkins.They have fivechildren and areraising her cousin’schild; the motherwas convicted ofmanslaughter.Started an

ambulance companyin east Texasthis year. Raisedby her maternalgrandmother. Nocriminal history.

See Alicia’s storyin Monday’sWorld-Herald

DexterLevering27

Has beenconvictedabout 45times,

including onefelony assaultcharge.

Nikko Jenkins27

Charged with first-degree murderin the August slayings of JorgeCajiga-Ruiz, 29; Juan Uribe-Pena,26; Curtis Bradford, 22; andAndrea Kruger, 33. Had beenreleased from prison July 30 afterserving almost 10 years for tworobberies and two assaults (oneagainst a correctional officer). At 7,he had taken a loaded .25-caliberhandgun to school. He was takenfrom his mother, the beginning oftwo decades in and out of grouphomes, juvenile detention and

state prison.

VaylezLevering26

Sent to ajuveniledetentioncenter forassaultingand carjackinga woman withMelonie andErica Jenkinsin March2003. Victimwas givingthem a ridehome fromWestroadsMall whenthey assaultedher with astun gun andstole herpurse andher car.

MelonieJenkins25

Stay-at-homemother.Criminalhistoryincludes

felony robberyconvictionfrom 2005,and shewas foundresponsiblefor 2003carjacking.A son wasbriefly takenaway becauseshe couldn’tprovide for hisspecial needs,but he hasbeen returnedto her home.

Jimmy “Jimbo” Levering(1989-2011)

One of Omaha’s most notoriousgang members. First shot at age14. Charged with first-degreemurder at 17; charge droppedafter witnesses backed out.

Convicted of two felonies; served30 months in federal prison.

Family members say he was tryingto get out of the gang life whenhe was fatally shot outside ClubSeville when he was 21.

Erica Jenkins23

Charged with first-degree murder inAug. 19 slaying of Curtis Bradford.Faces two counts of criminalconspiracy connected with theAug. 11 slayings of Jorge Cajiga-Ruiz and Juan Uribe-Pena and theAug. 21 killing of Andrea Kruger.Charged with an unrelated robberycharge, assault of a correctionsofficer and assault of a fellowinmate. Also found responsible fora 2003 carjacking she committedwith her sister Melonie and cousin

Vaylez Levering.

TyroneWells Jr.21

Was removedfrom his birthmother’shome. Hisadoptivemother laterleft him tomove to Texas.

Convicted ofrobbery andburglary. Hasbeen chargedwith ninefelonies afterallegedly sittingon the stepsof Miller ParkElementarySchool andshooting atpolice officers.

DesireeLevering20

Abandoned by mother,remained in fostercare until aging out. At14 she and two otherteens were accusedof beating a womanand stealing her car in2007. Charges droppedafter victim couldn’t befound to testify. Spentabout a year in prisonfor assaulting a juvenilecorrections officer whileawaiting trial. Judgesaid she had historyof antisocial behavior.Officers noted she andher friends laughed,joked and danced when

arrested.

CorneliusLevering20

Removed frombirth mother’shome. Hisadoptivemother laterleft him tomove to Texas.No criminalrecord.AttendsUniversity ofNebraska atOmaha.

See Cornelius’story inMonday’sWorld-Herald

LoriSayles18

Says she was“spoiled”growing up.Has worked asa lifeguard andwas attendingMetropolitanCommunityCollege.

Charged withaccessory toa felony inconnectionwith NikkoJenkins case.Father, PatrickSayles, diedwhen shewas a baby;consideredDavid Mageeto be herfather.

AdelineValentine(1934-2009)

Born onthe OmahaReservationin Macy. Latermoved toOmaha. Nocriminal record.

Fourothers

FrankValentine

RoseSpringerWoodhull

MoseCayou

This family tree is not

comprehensive. Some

Leverings have minimal or

no criminal history. The 50

individuals named include the

clan’s worst criminal offenders

and others who are important

to telling the family’s story.

GeorgeJenkins

JimmyHarris

Unknown

11children

BunnieLevering59

EllenBig BearLevering

Unknown ArnettWagner

HerbertJones

Compiled by World-Heraldstaff writers Roseann Moringand Alissa Skelton, basedon Nebraska criminal and juvenilecourt records, U.S. District Courtrecords for Nebraska, other publicrecords, World-Herald filesand family interviews.

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown TyroneWells45

Unknown

Ninechildren

PatrickSayles

(1966-1995)

Levi Levering was the respected face of his family acentury ago, when he earned an impressive repu-tation as an Omaha tribal leader and advocate.

His influence extended fromMacy, Neb., toWashington, D.C., where he successfully lobbiedCongress in 1920 to protect tribal members’ rights

to their land.Now the face of the family is Levi’s great-great-grand-

son: Nikko Jenkins.Jenkins stands accused of a 10-day killing spree in Oma-

ha last August that left four people dead.And five other relatives — two of Nikko Jenkins’ sis-

ters, his mother, a cousin and an uncle — have also beencharged in connection with the killings.

A World-Herald examination of the Levering historyshows that 38 descendants of Levi Levering have beenconvicted of 633 crimes in Omaha since 1979.

Those cases have cost taxpayers at least $2.8 million inprison and jail costs, not counting the price tag of law en-forcement, juvenile cases, prosecution or public defense.

Family members have been involved in at least 150other cases during that period that ended in acquittals,mistrials and dropped charges.

“That family is notorious,” said William Gallup, adefense attorney who has represented some of NikkoJenkins’ relatives.

This is one of a handful of families that Omaha policerecognize as habitual lawbreakers, said John Wells, presi-dent of the Omaha police union.

“What sets (the Leverings) apart is a few very, veryhigh-profile incidents,” he said.

Public records and interviews with the family, acquain-tances, law enforcement officials and academic expertspaint the portrait of a family that has deteriorated throughescalating violent crime, drug and alcohol abuse and childneglect. Authorities have removed at least 20 children fromvarious Levering family homes.

Many families struggle with poverty without resortingto criminal activity. The Leverings are an extreme exam-

ROOTSOF ACRIMEFAMILYA name that was respected in Nebraska 100 years ago has become synonymous withlawlessness as generations of Leverings succumbed to alcohol, drugs and violence.

BY ROSEANN MORING AND ALISSA SKELTON • WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITERS

See Family: Page 10

8A • SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2013

Picture unavailable

Levi Levering’s connectionto Nikko Jenkins

Conceived children

OMAHA.COM/LEVERINGView aninteractivetimeline of thefamily’s history.

OMAHA.COM/JENKINSRead morestories aboutthe crimestied to NikkoJenkins.