Connect with us

South Dakota

Noem commutes sentence of man who stabbed three, killed one 43 years ago • South Dakota Searchlight

Published

on

Noem commutes sentence of man who stabbed three, killed one 43 years ago • South Dakota Searchlight


Gov. Kristi Noem has granted a commutation to a convicted murderer that will allow him a shot at parole, but not for another eight years.

Roscoe Primeaux, 63, arrived in prison Dec. 28, 1981, on a life sentence for second-degree murder and two four-year sentences for aggravated assault.

Primeaux was 19 years old in October 1981 when he stabbed three people at an early morning house party in Wagner. He first stabbed a woman who was trying to break up a fight between another woman and Rodney Provost. When the first victim sat down, Primeaux fatally stabbed Provost at least 15 times, then opened the door and stabbed a partygoer who’d been outside during the altercations.

Everyone had been drinking.

Advertisement

Primeaux ran away, but police found him covered in blood at a Wagner housing complex at 7 a.m., less than two hours after their arrival at the scene of the stabbings. At 9:40 a.m. that morning., his blood alcohol content measured 0.13 – higher than the 0.08 level at which people can be charged with driving under the influence under current law.

Noem grants early release to 12 convicted of felonies for drug use

He hasn’t been free since.

“I turned 20 in November in the county jail,” Primeaux said, referring to his initial detainment in 1981. 

In February 2023, Primeaux appeared before the South Dakota Board of Pardons and Paroles. While in prison, he learned to be a diesel mechanic and took culinary arts courses, he told board members. 

Advertisement

“I don’t like to just sit around,” said Primeaux, who was denied a commutation from Gov. Dennis Daugaard in 2012.

The time that’s passed since that point without trouble behind the walls, the support Primeaux had from his family during his February 2023 commutation hearing, and the lack of opposition from the victims’ family members were among the factors that swayed the board toward recommending a commutation.

In his more than 40 years in prison, his record showed, he’d never been given a major write-up.

The board voted 8-1 to recommend a commutation reducing his life sentence to 300 years. That recommendation would’ve made him parole-eligible immediately.

“It’s been 10 years since Governor Daugaard said no,” said board member Peter Lieberman. “This time it’s been 41 years, not 31. I think he’s been punished adequately.”

Advertisement

Board Chair Myron Rau noted that Primeaux had support from some of the victims’ family members and has reached out several times to ask for forgiveness from others unsuccessfully.

“He’s done about all he can do to contact them,” Rau said.

The board can only recommend a commutation. Under the South Dakota Constitution, only a governor can grant clemency, either in the form of a commutation that lessens a current sentence or as a pardon, which wipes an old charge completely from a person’s record.

In Primeaux’s case, Gov. Noem made a 100-year adjustment to the recommendation from the board, leaving him with a 400-year sentence and setting his initial parole date for May 2032.

Power of mercy: Noem decisions highlight outsized importance of pardons in South Dakota

Advertisement

Noem signed Primeaux’s commutation on Feb. 23, just over a year after his hearing. South Dakota Searchlight obtained the commutation document through a public records request. Spokespersons for Noem’s office did not immediately return messages seeking comment on her decision.

The latest commutation puts the number she’s granted at 25. Primeaux went through the normal process: He applied to the board, got a hearing and earned a recommendation. 

Just after Christmas, Noem issued 12 commutations – doubling the number she’d issued until that point – to nine women and three men held on charges of felony drug ingestion. 

Noem did not respond to a request for comment about why she issued those commutations without the knowledge or review of the board, but said during her State of the State speech the following month that she’d done so to offer the women second chances.

Noem has also issued 28 pardons since the start of the year. Most of them were signed on Feb. 23, including for a man convicted of third-degree rape in 2005, another convicted of incest in 2001 and a woman convicted of aggravated assault in 2006. The remaining pardons were for lesser offenses like theft, drunken driving, disorderly conduct and marijuana or drug distribution.

Advertisement

Noem has issued a total of 296 pardons since taking office in 2019.

Pardons issued by Gov. Kristi Noem in January and February of 2024:

2024 Pardons -12-23 through 3-24

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Advertisement



Source link

Advertisement

South Dakota

South Dakota: GFP Commission modifies bounty program – focuses on youth trapping and coyote removal

Published

on

South Dakota: GFP Commission modifies bounty program – focuses on youth trapping and coyote removal


The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission passed a resolution to end the current Nest Predator Bounty Program at their March meeting in Pierre and create two separate programs within the existing budget and time period.The Nest Predator Bounty Program began in 2019 with the implementation of the Second Century Initiative. This reinvigorated trapping as an outdoor recreational opportunity and a means to get youth engaged and spend more time outdoors.

Data collected from the program shows that the level of youth participation over the past 4 years has exceeded 30%. In 2024 and 2025, youth participation reached 46%.”The Nest Predator Bounty Program has been incredibly successful at engaging youth in wildlife management and our tradition of trapping in South Dakota,” said Kevin Robling, GFP Secretary.

In total, 342,743 nest predators were removed since the program’s inception.”Intense nest predator removal in localized areas during the nesting season can contribute to higher nest success and we encourage individuals to continue to participate in this management activity,” continued Robling. “In 2026, we are going to focus on continuing to get youth outdoors and addressing our coyote population.”



As part of this focus, the current Nest Predator Bounty Program is ending. The allocated $500,000 for this program will be split into two separate programs: the Youth Trapping Recruitment Program and the Coyote Bounty Program.

Advertisement

Youth Trapping Recruitment Program 



The Youth Trapping Recruitment Program will be open for South Dakota youth age 17 and under. Tails from raccoon, striped skunk, badger, opossum, and red fox will be worth $10.The program will run from March 1-July 1, unless the $200,000 limit is reached first.”Youth recruitment and retention in trapping and wildlife management is a key component of this program,” said Robling. “We are thrilled with the amount of youth participation we have seen, so we want to continue this momentum.”

Coyote Bounty Program

The Coyote Bounty Program will be open for all South Dakota residents. Tails from coyotes will be worth $30.The program will run from April 1-July 1, unless the $300,000 limit is reached first.”Controlling the coyote population is critical for both our agricultural industry and wildlife populations,” stated Robling. “The newly created Coyote Bounty Program will assist in the management of these predators to help protect newborn calves and lambs for agricultural producers and enhance fawn survival for deer and antelope.”

Advertisement

Tail Submission Opportunities 

Individuals wishing to participate in either of these programs may submit tails to their local GFP office during designated tail turn in opportunities. Households are eligible to submit up to $590 worth of tails in each program.

–South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

South Dakota

SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 5, 2026

Published

on


The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 5, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 5 drawing

17-20-23-30-33, Bonus: 05

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Advertisement

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

  • Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
  • Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
  • Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
  • Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.



Source link

Continue Reading

South Dakota

DOE selects nine school districts for 2026 South Dakota Perkins Reserve grant

Published

on

DOE selects nine school districts for 2026 South Dakota Perkins Reserve grant


SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Nine school districts have been selected as recipients of the 2026 Perkins Reserve Grant by the South Dakota Department of Education.

The grant provides major equipment upgrades for Career and Technical Education programs, helping to equip students with the skills and experiences needed for post-secondary education and the workforce.

“CTE programs are constantly evolving to match the pace of workforce needs,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Joseph Graves.

“The South Dakota Perkins Reserve Grant aids schools in equipping students with current technologies, resources, and tools, offering students a realistic, hands-on learning experience that will strengthen their marketability to colleges or employers once they leave the K-12 education system.”

Advertisement

The following school districts have been named as the 2026 recipients:

  • Aberdeen School District:
    • Awarded $30,233 for new precision machine equipment for the manufacturing program.
  • De Smet School District:
    • Awarded $15,898 for modernizing metal fabrication within agriculture programs.
  • Lake Preston School District:
    • Awarded $43,160 for expansion of program offers in multiple career clusters to strengthen industrial alignment.
  • McLaughlin School District:
    • Awarded $11,997 to purchase equipment to offer a new culinary arts program.
  • Menno School District:
    • Awarded $32,844 to purchase small engines and attend professional development opportunities to enhance the agricultural mechanics program.
  • Mitchell School District:
    • Awarded $38,663 for the modernization of the automotive technology lab.
  • Timber Lake School District:
    • Awarded $42,400 for the expansion of agriculture course offerings to strengthen industry alignment.
  • Wakpala School District:
    • Awarded $40,145 to purchase a skid steer simulator to enhance the agriculture and construction program.
  • Wolsey-Wessington School District:
    • Awarded $26,201 to purchase industry-aligned equipment to enhance the agriculture and construction program.

You can learn more about the South Dakota Perkins Reserve Grant at doe.sd.gov.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending