Clarence Yellow Hawk, First Degree Murder, SD 2017

Clarence Yellow Hawk, 29, of Kyle, South Dakota, was found guilty of First Degree Murder and Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence after a federal jury trial in Rapid City. The verdict, delivered on May 3, 2019, caps a two-year investigation into the cold-blooded killing of Christopher “Chris” E. Janis on May 27, 2017, a crime that unfolded in the remote stretches of Pine Ridge land near Sharps Corner.

Yellow Hawk, also known as “Whodi,” was present when fellow accomplice Jamie Shoulders opened fire on Janis through the driver’s window of a parked minivan. After Shoulders shot Janis at least twice, Yellow Hawk stepped in, retrieved the fallen handgun, and fired multiple rounds into the already wounded man. At least seven shots were fired in total. Janis, who had no chance to defend himself, died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.

The firearm used in the execution-style murder belonged to Scott Benson, who drove Yellow Hawk and Shoulders to the meeting. Benson exited his vehicle and entered the minivan before the shooting began. As chaos erupted, Shoulders took the gun from Benson’s car and initiated the attack. Yellow Hawk was later seen approaching the minivan and continuing the barrage. He discarded the weapon from the moving car during their escape, but it was recovered by federal agents.

While Yellow Hawk was convicted on the two most serious counts, the jury acquitted him of Possessing a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number. That charge, though dismissed, underscores the shadow world of illegal weapons trafficking that often fuels violent crime in the region. The verdict carries a mandatory life sentence, a $250,000 fine, a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and court-ordered restitution.

“This judgment rendered by the jury represents justice for Chris Janis,” said U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons. “And it is our hope that it will bring some measure of peace to his grieving family.” The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, a joint effort highlighting the complex jurisdictional terrain of violent crime on tribal land.

A presentence investigation has been ordered, with sentencing scheduled for August 20, 2019. Jamie Shoulders, who pled guilty to Second Degree Murder, will be sentenced on the same day. Both men remain in custody with the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn N. Rich and Gregg Peterman prosecuted the case, sealing a grim chapter in a murder that shocked the tight-knit community of Kyle.