South Dakota
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
“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.”
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
.
South Dakota
Rhoden could be 'steady hand' if Noem joins Trump Cabinet
There will be lots of history made if South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is confirmed as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, as multiple national outlets reported Tuesday.
Noem, in her second term as Republican governor, would become the first South Dakotan to serve as a president’s Cabinet secretary, extending an alliance with Trump that first developed during her time in Congress.
It would also be the first time a South Dakota governor hands over the reins of power during a legislative session, assuming Noem waits to resign until she is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, a process set for January at the earliest.
That puts the focus on Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden, a 65-year-old Meade County rancher and legislative veteran who would be thrust into the spotlight as the state’s 34th governor.
Rhoden would also preside over a consequential 2025 legislative session fraught with budgetary battles and Republican infighting, all while potentially preparing for a 2026 gubernatorial election in which he would be the incumbent candidate.
“Having a changeover happen during the legislative session would be a first,” said Rep. Tony Venhuizen, R-Sioux Falls, Noem’s former chief of staff and a curator of South Dakota gubernatorial history.
“We’re fortunate that (Rhoden) is a longtime legislator who has been heavily engaged in past sessions and would be well-prepared to step in at any point.”
Neither Rhoden nor Noem’s office responded to requests for comment Tuesday.
Legislative experience seen as valuable
Rhoden, a resident of Union Center, served in the state House of Representatives from 2001-09 and 2017-19, including a stint as House majority leader from 2005-08. He served in the state Senate from 2009-2015 and chaired the State Affairs Committee.
Rhoden finished second in the 2014 Republican primary for governor to now-U.S. Senator Mike Rounds, with Rhoden drawing 18% of the vote.
Longtime Republican legislator Lee Schoenbeck, who stepped down this year and was clearing out his state Capitol office on Tuesday, told News Watch that it “would not be the best thing” to have the transition occur in the middle of session.
He said that Noem could potentially resign earlier to accommodate Rhoden if she were sure to get confirmed in the U.S. Senate, where Republicans will have the majority and South Dakota U.S. Sen. John Thune is favored to become party leader in a caucus vote Wednesday.
Either way, said Schoenbeck, Rhoden has a “steady hand” to handle the role from a legislative perspective, drawing a contrast between Noem and Rhoden in terms of focus on day-to-day operations at the Capitol.
While Noem was criticized for frequent travel outside the state and pursuing national political goals, Rhoden could be found in the Capitol hallways chatting with lawmakers when he wasn’t presiding over the Senate.
“He’s been way more engaged in the Legislature during his lifetime,” said Schoenbeck, who presided over the executive board for the Legislative Research Council in Pierre on Tuesday. “His entire political experience, other than a brief stint on the Meade County School Board, is all about the Legislature. I think his ability to work with and understand those relationships will put him in a strong position. He’s somebody that you might not agree with on every issue, but you can still work together. Nobody agrees with everybody.”
In 2023, when Schoenbeck was in a Senate leadership position and publicly feuded with Noem, he told News Watch: “If I have any questions, I contact Larry.”
Rhoden’s style: ‘Personable and direct’
It’s an open question whether Rhoden will have the same sway with the 2025 Legislature, which features new faces and re-structured leadership that reflects recent electoral gains by the GOP’s populist wing.
Freedom Caucus members have clashed with Noem over their contention that she took establishment positions initially on COVID restrictions, transgender rights and carbon pipelines, with Rhoden caught in the crossfire.
He was challenged at the 2022 party convention by former Speaker of the House Steve Haugaard and escaped with a narrow win, an episode that widened the populists’ rift with Noem.
Jim Bolin, a Canton legislator who served 16 years in Pierre but was term-limited in 2024, told News Watch that Rhoden could have the right temperament to navigate choppy political waters.
“I would describe him as personable and direct,” said Bolin. “He doesn’t beat around the bush. Having the transition (in the middle of session) might be challenging, but a lot of the people who have worked in the executive branch have been there for many years. They probably aren’t leaving South Dakota to become part of Homeland Security, so that will help make it easier. The issues themselves will be difficult, but the transition can be handled.”
Rhoden could run as incumbent in 2026
At a Mitchell town hall earlier this year, Noem credited Rhoden with helping her learn the ropes in 2007 as a rookie legislator in Pierre, something she kept in mind when it came time to choose a running mate for her 2018 gubernatorial run.
“Because I was a farmer and rancher, I was advised to choose a businessman from Sioux Falls,” Noem told attendees. “So instead I chose a rancher from West River. I trust his instincts and values. He loves the Lord and loves his family. I knew that if I got killed the next day, he’d run this state exactly as I would, and that was important to me.”
Rhoden, who runs a cow-calf operation and custom welding business near Union Center, joined the South Dakota National Guard after graduating from high school and served six years.
He has four sons with his wife, Sandy, and also six grandchildren.
Accepting the role as Noem’s lieutenant governor in 2018, he said it was clear that “Kristi is fighting for something much bigger than herself, and she expects the same of those serving in her administration.”
Rhoden withstood Noem’s often-turbulent time in office, marked by five different chiefs of staff and no one currently in that role. The administration saw higher-than-normal turnover among Cabinet positions and executive staff.
Rhoden is viewed as a likely candidate for governor in 2026, which would mean a highly competitive GOP primary battle against U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and possibly Attorney General Marty Jackley, among other candidates.
Past transitions include 1993 tragedy
This would mark the third time that a South Dakota lieutenant governor has taken the reins as top executive while a term was still ongoing.
Democratic governor Dick Kneip resigned in July 1978 to become U.S. ambassador to Singapore under President Jimmy Carter, ending his final term about five months early. He handed the reins to former state Sen. Harvey Wollman, who had already lost the Democratic primary for governor but served until Republican Gov. Bill Janklow took office in January 1979.
The next occurrence was prompted by one of South Dakota’s most profound tragedies. George Mickelson was killed April 19, 1993, when a propeller blade broke loose on his airplane and it crashed into a farm silo about 10 miles south of Dubuque, Iowa, killing everyone on board.
Also killed in the crash were two state pilots, Ron Becker and David Hanson, banker David Birkeland, power company executive Angus Anson, Sioux Falls Development Foundation leader Roger Hainje, economic development commissioner Roland Dolly and energy commissioner Ron Reed.
Lt. Gov. Walter Dale Miller, a Meade County rancher and former speaker of the House, then became the oldest person to serve as governor at age 67.
He declared the rest of April a special period of mourning after huddling in Pierre with staff members, who had received a call from the Federal Aviation Administration around 5 p.m. with news that the state-owned plane had gone down.
Plans were made for Miller to be sworn in as governor the next day. As he left the Capitol on the night of the tragedy, he had a simple message for reporters that had gathered.
“Say a prayer for us,” he said.
Janklow challenged Miller in the 1994 Republican primary and prevailed, setting up his return to Pierre for two terms, followed by eight-year stints by Rounds and Dennis Daugaard and what appears to be a truncated tenure for Noem.
This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit news organization. Read more in-depth stories at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email every few days to get stories as soon as they’re published. Contact investigative reporter Stu Whitney at stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org.
South Dakota
Trump appoints South Dakota governor Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary – Times of India
US president-elect Donald Trump has selected South Dakota governor Kristi Noem as the next secretary of the department of homeland security on Tuesday, according to CNN.
The department of homeland security is responsible for everything from border protection and immigration to disaster response and the US Secret Service.
Once considered a potential running mate for Trump, Noem is currently serving a four-year term as Governor of South Dakota, having won with a landslide victory in 2022. However, Noem faced political instability this year.
Noem rose to prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic for her decision to implement a statewide mask mandate.
Fans speculated that she entered Trump’s bad books following backlash earlier this year in April after she shot an “untrainable” dog that she “hated” on her family farm.
Earlier on Monday, Trump named Tom Homan as his administration’s incoming ‘border czar’ who emphasized that his primary focus would be on deporting illegal immigrants who endanger public safety and national security.
South Dakota
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