Rapid City Man Gets 8 Years for Voluntary Manslaughter

Rapid City Man Gets 8 Years for Voluntary Manslaughter

RAPID CITY – In a shocking turn of events, Luke Standing Bear, a 19-year-old from Rapid City, South Dakota, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for his role in a brutal Voluntary Manslaughter case.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, on July 6, 2024, Standing Bear got into an argument with several men in the Eastridge community on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The victim, who was one of the men Standing Bear tried to fight, told him to go home, but Standing Bear returned to the scene armed with a knife.

Despite being disarmed by bystanders, Standing Bear retrieved a second knife and returned to the street, approaching the victim after being insulted. He stabbed the victim once in the ribs, causing the victim to collapse to the ground. The victim survived the flight to the hospital in Rapid City but died during surgery due to internal injuries.

The Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in Federal court. This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because it fell under this category.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox led the prosecution, working closely with the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety to bring Standing Bear to justice.

Standing Bear was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after the sentencing, which took place on June 18, 2025. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and will face three years of supervised release after serving his sentence.

The case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of violent crime and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has pledged to continue working tirelessly to ensure that justice is served in cases like Standing Bear’s, and that the communities affected by crime receive the support and resources they need to heal and rebuild.