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A mother and 2 sons shot dead in their beds: South Dakota’s gruesome Mathis killings examined in new book

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A mother and 2 sons shot dead in their beds: South Dakota’s gruesome Mathis killings examined in new book


It was a blood-soaked evening that rocked South Dakota and reverberated across the nation: A mom and two of her youngsters shot useless of their beds on a farmstead close to Mount Vernon, South Dakota, within the early morning hours of Sept. 9, 1981.

Her husband, shot by the arm however alive, referred to as regulation enforcement to the scene. He reported {that a} masked intruder, who will need to have killed his spouse and boys, had additionally shocked and shot him, then left, leaving him unconscious.

“Somebody has shot my household,” Mathis informed regulation enforcement.

However from the very starting, the questions piled up.

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Months after that fateful evening, John Mathis was charged with killing his spouse, LaDonna Ann Mathis, and two of their youngsters, 4-year-old Brian and 2-year-old Patrick.

After a tempestuous trial involving among the state’s high legal professionals, riveting testimony and .22-caliber rifle bullets meant for jury members to search out — a possible plant that will have performed a key function in deliberations — John Mathis was discovered not responsible.

The Mathis case, the trial and the questions that stay to at the present time are the topic of a brand new ebook,

“South Dakota’s Mathis Murders: Horror within the Heartland”

by long-time South Dakota journalist Noel Hamiel.

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At 116 pages (the writer had a phrase depend restrict for the ebook, Hamiel says), “South Dakota’s Mathis Murders” is a slim however replete account of the 1981 crime, the homicide trial and its aftermath.

Noel Hamiel

Submitted picture

Hamiel, a local South Dakotan, was a reporter at a Kansas newspaper on the time of the murders, however recalled how information of the killings unfold nationwide. Now, after a full journalism profession, he says he was compelled to jot down a ebook concerning the case on account of its nature, the shortage of a conviction and ongoing questions.

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“It simply struck me … the diabolical nature of the crime. Two little children. Farm spouse. No one’s ever punished for it. Technically, no person’s ever discovered responsible of it,” he mentioned. “After I retired, I believed, ‘you understand, I feel that might be worthy of a extra in-depth look.’”

The matter is frequently recounted in South Dakota newspapers,

together with the Mitchell Republic

, the place Hamiel retired from journalism as writer in 2007.

However Hamiel had new entry to the case, being granted uncommon entry to investigative information from each the Davison County Sheriff’s Workplace and the South Dakota Division of Felony Investigation.

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“One of many enduring questions that just about everyone related to the case has is why the prosecution was unsuccessful. And I did attain some conclusions on that,” he mentioned.

Hamiel may have produced an attention-grabbing true-crime learn by merely rehashed the already intensive reporting on the case. As a substitute, true to his intensive journalism profession, he carried out a public service by spending two years synthesizing outdated reporting, scouring case information and interviewing members of the family and plenty of of these concerned within the case and trial.

“A lot of the principals, by advantage of what I did for a dwelling, I had not less than met them, maybe interviewed them, actually knew that knew who they had been, and that was advantageous for me,” he mentioned.

Hamiel’s new ebook extensively covers the crime and trial, however transcends the “whodunit” style by respectfully memorializing those that had been killed that evening (LaDonna Mathis will get her personal chapter), and charting the aftershocks of the acquittal that resonate to at the present time. Of particular observe, ostensibly because of the case, South Dakota was one of many first states with obligatory youngster abuse reporting necessities.

“I additionally needed these two youngsters and the mother to be remembered,” he mentioned. “They had been cheated out of life, their lives had been minimize brief, no person was ever held accountable or accountable for his or her deaths. They need to be remembered.”

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And Hamiel reveals what occurred to John Mathis and his final remaining son, Duane, all these years later.

Hamiel’s ebook is probably the most definitive single accounting of the Mathis case so far. It will likely be of nice curiosity to true crime aficionados and people curious about a disturbing piece of historical past in South Dakota, the place Hamiel nonetheless resides.

“We’re an enormous wide-open state and we do not have a excessive crime price,” he mentioned. “However it’s type of a darkish chapter in our historical past, and now we have to be careful for one another.”

“South Dakota’s Mathis Murders: Horror within the Heartland” is revealed by The Historical past Press, and is obtainable starting April 25. readers can

order a replica on Amazon.com

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Mathis Home

The house of John Mathis, eight miles north of Mount Vernon, is pictured on this Republic file picture. The farm was the positioning of a triple murder practically 40 years in the past. (Chris Huber/Republic)





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South Dakota

THE VERMIRACLE 2! Coyotes stun Bison late to earn share of Missouri Valley Championship

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THE VERMIRACLE 2!  Coyotes stun Bison late to earn share of Missouri Valley Championship


VERMILLION, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – An impeccable day on Senior Day inside the DakotaDome resulted in a pair of touchdowns in the final four-plus minutes as the No. 4-ranked University of South Dakota football team (9-2, 7-1 MVFC) took down No. 1-ranked North Dakota State (10-2, 7-1 MVFC), 29-28, to lay claim to the program’s first-ever Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) and end the regular season undefeated in the Dome.

It was a fast start for the Coyotes inside the Dome with the Yotes jumping out to a quick 14-0 lead and the Coyote defense forcing Bison punts on their first four drives of the contest. The offense also out of the gate hot put together back-to-back touchdown drives of 80 and 73 yards.

South Dakota would win the coin toss and, as usual, Coach Nielson elected to trust his elite defense and make the Bison deal with the student section on the south end of the Dome. In the first three plays of the contest, Mi’Quise Grace (So., Cincinnati, Ohio) would get home twice for a pair of sacks as he notches his second 2+ sack game in the last three games.

Behind a rocking crowd, the Coyote offense would take to the field for the first time as Travis Theis (Sr., Pratt, Kan.) would get the first offensive touch from scrimmage, taking it nine yards. The first explosive play for the Yotes would come soon after when Aidan Bouman (Jr., Buffalo, Minn.) would find Theis out of the backfield for a 23-yard pickup and into Bison territory for the first time on the day in just three plays.

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More chunk plays as a 29-yard connection between Bouman and Carter Bell (Sr., Bettendorf, Iowa) would put the Yotes in the Red Zone. Not wasting any time, a pass to Keyondray Jones-Logan (So., Orlando, Fla.) would put USD at the 1-yard line with Theis punching it in for the first score of the day.

The Yote defense would follow the touchdown drive with their second-straight three-and-out. The offense would come back on the field and march 73 yards in seven plays to increase their lead up to 14-0 with Theis capping it off with his second rushing score of the day from 14 yards out.

Soon thereafter, North Dakota State would show why they entered the contest ranked No. 1 in the FCS and had won all 10 games against FCS opponents up to today. The Bison would close out the first half, stealing away the momentum the Yotes had built up with back-to-back scoring drives to knot things up at 14-14 just before the halftime break.

The Coyotes would get the ball first out of the locker room. Pushing it inside the Bison 30-yard line, the drive would stall out, but Will Leyland (Jr., Souderton, Pa.) would convert on his ninth field goal of the season with a 37-yard field goal to give the Yotes the 17-14 lead.

Yet again, the Bison would show fight and put up 14 unanswered points to end the third quarter and into the final frame. But it would be Javion Phelps (Orlando, Fla.) who completely took over the game in the fourth quarter, and the final five minutes. The junior wide out brought down all three of his receptions on the game in the final 15 minutes, including the go-ahead touchdown grab with seconds left on the clock.

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Seemingly taking the life out of the Yotes and the Dome, the Bison would punch in a touchdown score from one-yard out with 4:10 left on the clock to take a 28-17 lead utilizing a 20-play, 99-yard drive.

Down, but not out, the South Dakota offense would take the field trailing by 11 with just over four minutes remaining. The first three passes of the drive would hit the turf as USD was faced with a fourth-and-10. Having the utmost faith in his receivers, Bouman would find Phelps open for a 31-yard completion down to the NDSU 40-yard line. Two plays later, Bouman would find Jack Martens (Jr., Cumberland, Wis.) for a 40-yard touchdown strike, Martens first touchdown grab of the season. After a failed two-point conversion, the Yotes would find themselves trailing 28-23 with 3:20 to go.

A beautiful kickoff from Zeke Mata (Jr., San Marcos, Calif.) would be downed at the NDSU 1-yard line, pinning the Bison deep. Needing a stop to have a chance and the Bison potent rushing game, it would be a clash of the titans.

NDSU would pick up a first down with 1:33 on the clock. A Grace tackle for loss on first down would set up the Bison with a second-and-long, as USD took their first time out. Two more Bison rushes with their backs would see it be fourth down and six to go on the NDSU 16-yard line.

The defense doing their job and winning the battle of the titans in the trenches, Bouman and company got the ball back at the South Dakota 42-yard line with 1:20 left and no time outs.

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Bouman, setting out to lead a game-winning score, would methodically pick apart the North Dakota State secondary as the first play would be a nine-yard completion to Quaron Adams (So., Phoenix, Ariz.) to push into Bison territory.

With under a minute left and the crowd on their feet, Bouman would find Phelps open again on the NDSU sideline. Despite the call on the field being incomplete, upon further review Phelps got a foot down with possession of the ball, for a 23-yard completion and the clock stopped with 51 ticks left.

North Dakota State would get pressure the very next play and bring Bouman down for a sack and a loss of nine yards back to the NDSU 25-yard line. Rushing up to the line, Bouman would snap the ball, and instead of spiking it, look down field to, again, find a wide open Phelps at the four-yard line that he’d take into the endzone for the game-winning score with 12 seconds left.

North Dakota State would get two snaps off, trying a lateral on the final play of the game, but Nate Ewell (Sr., Waterloo, Iowa) would end that threat as the Coyotes take down the Bison, 29-28, in an instant classic as the Yotes erased the 11-point deficit with a pair of touchdowns in the final four-plus minutes to take home (a share of) the MVFC title for the first time in program history.

It’s the first South Dakota win over NDSU in the DakotaDome since 2002 and the first win over a No. 1-ranked team since 2011 (Eastern Washington).

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Up Next: South Dakota will await their NCAA FCS Playoff seed, set to be announced tomorrow morning at 11:30 a.m. on ESPNU. Updates will be provided tomorrow on GoYotes.com and the South Dakota football social channels.



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Missouri State football vs South Dakota State score: Live updates, highlights from Week 13 game

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Missouri State football vs South Dakota State score: Live updates, highlights from Week 13 game


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Missouri State football will play its final game as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and as an FCS program when it hosts the two-time defending champion this weekend.

FCS No. 18 Missouri State (8-3, 6-1 MVFC) will host FCS No. 3 South Dakota State (9-2. 6-1 MVFC) on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Plaster Stadium. The game will be the Bears’ finale, as they are ineligible to qualify for the postseason because of NCAA rules regarding their move to the FBS.

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South Dakota State continues to be a national championship contender with their lone FCS loss this season coming Oct. 19 in a 13-9 loss to FCS No. 1 North Dakota State. The Jackrabbits also lost on opening day in a 44-20 defeat at FBS Oklahoma State.

Missouri State has an outside chance at still winning a share of the MVFC. The Bears would have to beat SDSU while requiring North Dakota State to lose to FCS No. 4 South Dakota.

More: Missouri State football vs South Dakota State: Scouting report, score prediction for Saturday

Missouri State football score vs South Dakota State: Live updates



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South Dakota vs. North Dakota State channel, time, schedule, live stream to watch Saturday college football game | Sporting News

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South Dakota vs. North Dakota State channel, time, schedule, live stream to watch Saturday college football game | Sporting News


North Dakota State is almost at the finish line, looking to complete the season with just one blemish on its record.

The Bison lost the season-opener against Colorado but have since been perfect and are 10-1 heading into the final regular-season game. A Missouri Valley Football Conference title is in their sights.

South Dakota is also one of the top teams in the MVFC, posting an 8-2 record but just one conference loss. The Coyotes are looking to knock off the Bison and force a tie for first place in the conference.

South Dakota has the luxury of playing at home in the most important game of the regular season.

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The Sporting News has all the details on how to watch South Dakota vs. North Dakota State.

What channel is South Dakota vs. North Dakota State on today?

  • TV channel: N/A
  • Live stream: ESPN+

South Dakota vs. North Dakota State won’t be broadcast on TV. Instead, it will be exclusively streamed. ESPN+ has fans covered with the live stream.

For a limited time get 12 months of ESPN+ for the price of 9 with the purchase of an annual plan. Stream your favorite teams live and enjoy more sports anywhere with an ESPN+ subscription.

South Dakota vs. North Dakota State start time

  • Date: Saturday, Nov. 23
  • Time: 2 p.m. ET

South Dakota vs. North Dakota State kicks off on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. ET in South Dakota.

South Dakota schedule

Date Game Time (ET)
Nov. 23 vs. North Dakota State 2 p.m.

North Dakota State schedule

Date Game Time (ET)
Nov. 23 at South Dakota 2 p.m.

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