Murder in the Heartland: Jay Adams Jr. Sentenced for 1992 Cold Case Slaying

SIOUX FALLS, SD – In a stunning turn of events, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota has brought closure to a 31-year-old cold case in Roberts County, South Dakota. Jay Adams Jr., a 56-year-old resident of Sisseton, South Dakota, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 1992 murder of a minor victim in the heat of passion.

According to court documents, in 1992, Adams inflicted fatal blunt force trauma to the head of the minor victim in Roberts County. The case went cold, but U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell and her team, along with MMIP Regional AUSA Troy Morley, worked tirelessly to reopen the case and bring justice to the victim’s family.

In a statement, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland highlighted the ongoing efforts to tackle the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous persons (MMIP) in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. “There is still so much more to do in the face of persistently high levels of violence that Tribal communities have endured for generations, and that women and girls, particularly, have endured,” Garland said.

To raise awareness of MMIP issues, U.S. Attorneys and MMIP personnel have been engaging in events with Tribal and law enforcement partners, communities, and stakeholders across the United States. On April 17-18, 2024, U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Peterman, MMIP Regional AUSA Troy Morley, and National Native American Outreach Services Liaison Marlys Big Eagle participated in an MMIP Conference hosted by the Oglala and Rosebud Sioux Tribes.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota has also been hosting and attending events throughout the month of May to recognize MMIP Awareness Day. On May 5, 2024, Morley participated in an MMIP Awareness Walk in Porcupine, SD, and on May 6, 2024, Morley, Big Eagle, and AUSA Heather Knox presented at South Dakota’s MMIP Awareness and Training Program.

The Justice Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program has divided its resources into five regions, with the District of South Dakota falling within the Great Plains Region. MMIP Regional AUSA Troy Morley has been selected to serve the Great Plains Region and has been instrumental in bringing closure to the cold case. “We seek to honor those who are still missing, those who were stolen from their communities, and their loved ones who are left with unimaginable pain,” said Garland.