Jamie Shoulders, Second Degree Murder, South Dakota 2019

South Dakota Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Second Degree Murder

A Kyle, South Dakota, man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for his role in a homicide that occurred on the Pine Ridge Reservation in May 2017.

Jamie Shoulders, 27, was sentenced on August 20, 2019, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court, for Second Degree Murder. In addition to the prison sentence, Shoulders was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and to pay restitution in the amount of $27,615.12.

The conviction stems from the death of Christopher 'Chris' Janis, who was shot multiple times on May 27, 2017. Shoulders, along with co-defendants Scott Benson and Clarence Yellow Hawk, was involved in the homicide. Yellow Hawk was found guilty of First Degree Murder and awaits sentencing.

According to the investigation, on the day of the homicide, Shoulders and Yellow Hawk were with Scott Benson. They traveled to meet with Janis and another person, where the shooting occurred. Shoulders shot Janis through the driver's window of the minivan, and Yellow Hawk then shot Janis several additional times.

Co-defendant Scott Benson was sentenced on May 24, 2018, to 10 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn N. Rich and Gregg Peterman prosecuting the case.

Shoulders was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following the sentencing. The case highlights the serious consequences of violent crime in South Dakota.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr/kyle-man-sentenced-25-years-second-degree-murder