Pine Ridge Man Indicted for Murder

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Pine Ridge man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for killing a man by striking him in the head with a baseball bat several times. Kyle C. Yankton, age 21, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 10, 2012, for First Degree Murder and Burglary. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on July 13, 2012, and pled not guilty to the indictment. The maximum penalty upon conviction is life imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine. The charges are merely accusations, and Yankton is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe - Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case. Yankton was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal. A trial date has not yet been set.