PIERRE, SD – A night of terror in Mellette County, South Dakota, has landed two individuals in federal prison. Sativa Looking Cloud, age 21, of Mission, SD, was sentenced to 20 years for Second Degree Murder following a string of violent incidents in February 2022. Her accomplice, Stephen Fallis, age 30, of Todd County, SD, received eight years for possessing stolen firearms and being a prohibited person.
The chaos began in the early hours of February 16th, 2022. Looking Cloud and Fallis allegedly stormed a Mellette County residence, both armed with handguns. According to court documents, Looking Cloud barged inside, initiating a confrontation with the occupants before brandishing a 9mm pistol and opening fire. The residents scrambled for cover as shots rang out, fleeing to another room while Looking Cloud and Fallis made their escape.
The next evening, February 17th, the pair struck again. This time, Looking Cloud allegedly engaged in an argument with a woman at another Mellette County residence. Without hesitation, she produced the same 9mm handgun and fired a single shot at point-blank range, fatally wounding the woman. Looking Cloud and Fallis then fled the scene, leaving a community reeling. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Law enforcement swiftly responded, executing a search warrant at Fallis’s Todd County residence on February 17th. Authorities recovered multiple firearms, including two with obliterated serial numbers. Looking Cloud was apprehended in Mellette County on February 18th, and the murder weapon was recovered. Fallis remained at large until March 1st, when he was located and arrested in Vermillion, South Dakota, with another 9mm handgun in his possession. He admitted to being an unlawful user of controlled substances.
Both Looking Cloud and Fallis pleaded guilty in January 2023. Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange handed down the sentences on May 8th and May 1st, respectively. Looking Cloud will serve 20 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release, and must pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Fallis will spend eight years behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release, and is also ordered to pay a $200 assessment. All firearms and ammunition seized during the investigation will be forfeited.
The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the FBI, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, U.S. Marshals Service, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Vermillion Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson led the prosecution. This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence across the nation.
Related Federal Cases
- 23andMe, Data Auction Without Consent, New York NY, 2023 · New York
- Letitia James Leads Push Against Youth Substance Abuse, New York NY… · New York
- Fontenot Wins Sentence Appeal, Pierre SD, 2023 · Nebraska
- Fontenot Seeks Sentence Reversal, Federal Conviction Challenge, Sio… · Illinois
- Live Nation, Antitrust Lawsuit, New York NY, 2024 · Nevada
Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News