Little Eagle Woman Sentenced for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon

A brutal assault in Little Eagle, South Dakota, has landed a local woman in the slammer. Mary Jo Madison, 37, was sentenced to 16 months in custody for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.

According to court documents, the incident occurred on July 7, 2015, when Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) law enforcement was dispatched to a residence in Little Eagle in reference to an assault. Officers were advised that a group of females were fighting and one was bleeding from the head.

Madison and others initially approached the victim and another person and started a verbal altercation. The altercation escalated and Madison went to a car, retrieved a metal bar, and struck the victim on the head at least one time. A neighbor across the street also described the incident to the BIA officers, stating he too saw Madison strike the victim on the head with a metal bar.

The victim was transported by ambulance to Mobridge for treatment. As a result of the assault, the victim sustained head injuries, including two lacerations that formed a ‘T’ on her scalp, one laceration was 4 cm long and the other 3 cm long.

Following treatment, the victim did not require hospitalization and was released to her home. Following the assault, Madison fled the area in a black vehicle heading towards Timber Lake. A second BIA officer responded to the call and passed a vehicle matching the description dispatch had provided. The vehicle was stopped and the officer was able to identify and detain Madison.

Madison was interviewed the following day and admitted to striking the victim on the head with a metal bar. This case was investigated by the BIA, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case. Madison was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Madison was sentenced to 16 months in custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment of $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. She pled guilty on November 2, 2015, and was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 11, 2015.

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