RAPID CITY – A 19-year-old Rapid City man has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for his role in a deadly stabbing that took place in the Eastridge community in Pine Ridge last year.
U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler handed down the sentence to Luke Standing Bear, 19, of Rapid City, during a hearing on June 18, 2025. Standing Bear was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and serve three years of supervised release after his prison term is complete.
Standing Bear was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, a charge that stems from a July 6, 2024, incident in which he stabbed a man in the ribs with a knife. The victim, whose name was not released, died during surgery at a Rapid City hospital after being airlifted from the scene.
According to court documents, Standing Bear had been trying to fight several men in the Eastridge community when he was told to go home by the victim. After returning to his house and arming himself with a knife, Standing Bear went back to the scene of the first argument and got into another argument with the victim.
Standing Bear was disarmed by bystanders, but then retrieved a second knife from his home and returned again to the street where the victim was standing. The victim took one step and collapsed to the ground after being stabbed in the ribs. The knife had pierced several internal organs and the victim’s aorta.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to state court. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox handling the prosecution.
Standing Bear was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after being sentenced. The victim’s family has not commented on the case, but the sentencing is a significant development in a case that has been shrouded in tragedy.
RELATED: Fentanyl Dealer Gets 11+ Years After Wild Little Rock Chase
RELATED: Trump Freezes Wind Energy, States Fight Back
Related Federal Cases
- Rapid City Man Gets 8 Years for Voluntary Manslaughter · South Dakota
- Rapid City Robber Faces Multiple Hobbs Act Charges · South Dakota
- Rapid City Trio Get Decades for Brutal Vanjacking · South Dakota
- Rapid City Felon Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearm · South Dakota
- Rapid City Man Crashes Into Riot, Assaults Cops on Jan. 6 · Maryland
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More