⏱ 2 min read
Jimi Jo Collins, a 27-year-old woman from Eagle Butte, South Dakota, has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for setting fire to a home, killing two people inside. The incident occurred on March 2, 2025, within the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation, after Collins allegedly discovered someone had broken her car window. In a fit of rage, she intentionally set the residence ablaze, trapping two victims who were unable to escape.
The sentencing took place on June 22, 2026, with U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte handing down the 30-year prison term, followed by three years of supervised release. Collins was also ordered to pay restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Collins pleaded guilty to the crime on March 30, 2026, after being indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025. The case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons condemned Collins’ actions, stating that she is an arsonist and a murderer who intentionally set fire to a mobile home with people asleep inside. The result was the tragic loss of two lives, a senseless act of violence that has left a community in shock.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Violent Crime
- Defendant: murder
- Location: SD
- Source: DOJ Press Release
