Julian James Hard Heart, Voluntary Manslaughter, South Dakota 2022

Rapid City, South Dakota - A devastating event unfolded in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, on November 28, 2021, when a verbal altercation led to a tragic shooting, resulting in the death of a person.

Julian James Hard Heart, 20, was found guilty of Voluntary Manslaughter in a federal grand jury indictment in January 2022.

The case began to take shape on October 21, 2022, when Hard Heart pleaded guilty to the charges.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken handed down a six and a half years prison sentence for Hard Heart, followed by three years of supervised release.

Additionally, Hard Heart was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

This case was a collaborative effort between the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins leading the prosecution.

Hard Heart was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr/pine-ridge-man-sentenced-federal-prison-voluntary-manslaughter