Tag: South Dakota
Jami Johnson, Second-Degree Murder, South Dakota 2025
⏱ 2 min read A deadly argument at an outdoor gathering near Lower Brule, South Dakota, ended in tragedy when 19-year-old Jami Johnson and another person opened fire, killing two young adults. The incident occurred on August 11, 2025, on the Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservation. Johnson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on April 30,…
Cody Ben Zephier, Assault by Strangulation, South Dakota 2025
⏱ 2 min read Cody Ben Zephier, 21, of Kenel, South Dakota, was found guilty of brutally assaulting his live-in girlfriend in their home on the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. The attack occurred on June 27, 2025, after a quarrel between the couple escalated into violence. Zephier’s girlfriend slapped him, and he responded by…
Mark Milk, Cocaine Distribution, South Dakota 2026
⏱ 2 min read Mark Milk, a Sioux Falls man, has been charged in connection with the disappearance and death of 14-year-old McKenna Wendel. The alleged crimes occurred in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and involved the distribution of cocaine, which resulted in Wendel’s death. Milk pleaded not guilty to the charges on July 30, 2026,…
Kyle Beck, Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, South Dakota 2023
⏱ 2 min read Kyle Beck, a 23-year-old from Rapid City, South Dakota, attempted to sexually exploit a 15-year-old girl by messaging her on Instagram and requesting explicit photos on May 28, 2023. The incident led to a federal investigation involving the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the South Dakota Division of…
Parker Behrns, Child Pornography, South Dakota 2026
⏱ 2 min read Parker Behrns, a 27-year-old Rapid City man, was sentenced to 8 years and 1 month in federal prison for possessing child pornography. Between September 2022 and July 2024, Behrns used his phone and the internet app Discord to search for and receive explicit images and videos of minors. He even posed…
Courtney Richmond, Methamphetamine Distribution, South Dakota 2026
⏱ 2 min read Courtney Richmond, a 49-year-old Sioux Falls man, was involved in a large-scale methamphetamine distribution operation in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. From late 2022 to 2023, investigators with Homeland Security Investigations and the DEA looked into Richmond’s activities, discovering that he was sourcing meth to at least one other person who was…
Kourtney Lang, Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, South Dakota 2026
⏱ 2 min read Kourtney Lang, a 33-year-old Sioux Falls woman, was involved in a massive methamphetamine distribution ring that brought over eight pounds of the drug into South Dakota. As part of the Matthew Shade organization, Lang helped distribute the meth and collected debts from users. The operation, which began to unravel in February…
Jannelle Olson, Methamphetamine Distribution, South Dakota 2026
⏱ 2 min read Jannelle Olson, a 47-year-old Sioux Falls woman, was involved in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy that brought large quantities of the drug from Omaha to Sioux Falls. On July 31, 2025, investigators caught Olson with approximately two pounds of meth in her vehicle, and another two pounds were found in her co-conspirator’s…
Tevin Thin Elk, Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm, South Dakota 2026
⏱ 2 min read Tevin Thin Elk, a 29-year-old Mission man, was found in a rural area of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation with a semi-automatic shotgun on April 5, 2025. Law enforcement had been called to the area due to reports of multiple gunshots. Thin Elk, who was on supervised release for a prior…
Kourtney Lang, Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, South Dakota 2026
A Sioux Falls woman has been sentenced to over 5 years in federal prison for her role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. Kourtney Lang, 33, was sentenced to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime…
