Oglala Man Found Guilty in Federal Trial of Involuntary Manslaughter

RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Clayton Fire Thunder, age 40, of Oglala, South Dakota, of Involuntary Manslaughter and two counts of False Statement following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on January 30, 2025.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of eight years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Fire Thunder was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024.

The conviction relates to the following facts presented at trial. At approximately 4:00 A.M. on September 15, 2022, Fire Thunder caught a ride to a man’s residence just a few miles east of Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Fire Thunder was intoxicated. The individual Fire Thunder was seeking to contact was a methamphetamine dealer. Fire Thunder had acquired a firearm and intended to exchange the firearm with the methamphetamine dealer. As Fire Thunder approached the front door of the residence, he heard noises coming from inside the residence. At some point while on the exterior of the residence, Fire Thunder mishandled the firearm, causing a bullet to discharge into the house. Fire Thunder heard a female screaming, and he left the residence. A later investigation revealed that the bullet had traveled through the siding of the residence and into the adjacent bedroom where the methamphetamine dealer and a female were present. The female was struck by the bullet on her left side slightly below her arm. She later succumbed to her injuries. During two separate interviews with FBI agents in October 2023 and May 2024, Fire Thunder made false statements about the firearm and his involvement in the killing.

This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for April 25, 2025. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.