Jerome Warrior, Second Degree Murder, South Dakota 2016

Pine Ridge Man Sentenced for Second Degree Murder

A gruesome crime unfolded on July 12, 2015, in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, when Jerome Warrior, age 20, and others struck the victim with a cinder block, kicked the victim in the head and face, beat the victim with a stick, and struck the victim in the back of his head with a machete. The cause of death was multiple blunt trauma to the head, including a skull fracture and hemorrhaging.

Jerome Warrior, a resident of Pine Ridge, South Dakota, was convicted of Second Degree Murder. On October 24, 2016, Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken of the U.S. District Court sentenced Warrior to 14 years' custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Warrior pleaded guilty to the charge on July 8, 2016. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Poppen and Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.

This heinous crime left a victim dead, and a community shaken. The sentence handed down to Jerome Warrior brings some justice to the family and friends of the victim. However, the question remains: what led to this senseless violence?

The U.S. Marshals Service took Warrior into custody immediately following the sentencing.

The case serves as a reminder of the devastating impact of violence in our communities. It is our hope that this sentence will serve as a deterrent to those who would engage in similar behavior.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr/pine-ridge-man-sentenced-second-degree-murder-1