South Dakota
SD convicts 2 inmates of attempted murder, assault on correctional officers
A jury has convicted two inmates of assaulting two correctional officers in 2023 at the South Dakota State Penitentiary, according to a press release Friday from the South Dakota Attorney General’s office.
Lester M. Monroe, 49, and Kyle Jones, 31, were found guilty of attempted first degree murder of a law enforcement officer and aggravated assault of a Department of Corrections employee, the release states. Jones was also found guilty of one count of simple assault of a Department of Corrections employee.
The two found guilty by a Minnehaha Circuit Court Jury after a week-long trial Friday. Sentencing is expected at a later date.
They face a possible maximum sentence of 100 years because of their current status as prisoners at the time of the crimes, the release states.
“This was a violent assault on two of our correctional officers, including one officer who was struck more than 70 times, doing their job,”Attorney General Marty Jackley stated in the release. “Violence in the prison will not be tolerated, and offenders will be held accountable.”
The Aug. 24, 2023 incident happened at the Jameson Annex, Unit D, in Sioux Falls. The officers were medically treated and then released.
Monroe was already serving time for simple assault on law enforcement out of Minnehaha County, and receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle out of Bennett County, the release states. Meanwhile, Jones had been serving time for several crimes out of Minnehaha County, including first degree manslaughter, eluding a police officer and unauthorized ingestion of a controlled substance, the release states.