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Two men, including 1 whose beingness condemnation was commuted by then-South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, person been charged successful the decease of a 14-year-old miss whose assemblage was recovered successful a agrarian country 5 days aft she went missing successful March.
McKenna Wendel was reported missing March 13 and past seen live successful her hometown of Sioux Falls aboriginal connected March 14. Her assemblage was recovered extracurricular Brookings, an hour's thrust northbound of Sioux Falls, connected March 19.
Wendel's uncle, Mark Milk, 51, besides of Sioux Falls, present faces 5 counts related to her death. Milk was astir 3 decades into a beingness word connected a manslaughter condemnation erstwhile Noem commuted his condemnation successful 2023.
Wendel was raised by her grandparents, loved animals and had a "vibrant property and a zest for life," according to her obituary. She and her grandparents were Rosebud Sioux Tribe members and attended powwows often.
"She loved the singing and the beauteous sounds of the drums," her obituary read.
McKenna Wendel
Sioux Falls Police Department
Details astir Wendel's decease remained bladed arsenic authorities who announced the charges successful a Sioux City, Iowa, quality league Thursday kept adjacent what they knew to support their investigation.
Authorities person said an autopsy was done, but the findings person not been released. The origin and mode of Wendel's decease would not beryllium released yet per Justice Department policy, said Leif Olson, U.S. lawyer for bluish Iowa.
Milk faces 5 counts including possession with intent to present cocaine that caused Wendel's death. He is besides charged with proscription of a insignificant with the intent to prosecute successful transgression intersexual activity, according to tribunal documents.
Milk's indictment says helium intentionally distributed a substance containing cocaine successful Iowa connected oregon astir March 14, CBS affiliate KELO-TV reports. "Furthermore, the decease of M.W. resulted from the usage of the controlled substance suspect possessed with the intent to administer and distributed," the indictment says, according to the station.
"All charges occurred wrong the Northern District of Iowa," U.S. lawyer successful Iowa Ron Parsons said. "The charges that we brought are the astir serious, readily provable."
Jon Rogness, 38, of Brookings faces conspiracy and accessory charges successful an alleged effort to screen up the crimes. The counts against the men were the "most serious, readily provable" charges and each originated successful Iowa, Olson said.
"This is simply a horrific case," FBI peculiar cause Gene Kowel said. "There are nary cases that we analyse that are much heart-wrenching and much tragic than the ones that impact children oregon the decease of a child."
This undated booking photograph released by the South Dakota Department of Corrections connected Thursday, June 18, 2026, shows Mark Milk.
South Dakota Department of Corrections via AP
Court records showed nary lawyers listed for Milk and Rogness, and nary relatives could instantly beryllium located done telephone records and societal media to talk connected their behalf.
In February 2023, Noem commuted Milk's beingness condemnation for a manslaughter condemnation successful an October 1993 stabbing death. Milk, past 19, had been progressive successful respective altercations successful the metropolis of Winner that ended with the decease of Shawn Peneaux, according to records.
According to KELO-TV, Noem's bid granting commutation reads, "The exertion of Mark Milk for commutation of condemnation having been presented to me, unneurotic with facts pertaining to this case, and it appearing determination from that the ends of justness would beryllium champion served by granting the Commutation of Sentence requested."
When a newsman asked astir the taxable astatine a quality league successful April, U.S. Attorney Leif Olson said: "I don't person immoderate accusation connected that."
Milk was successful jailhouse connected unrelated allegations of driving nether the power and eluding constabulary erstwhile Wendel's assemblage was found. His sanction came up successful nationalist treatment astir the lawsuit from the start. But prosecutors, who finished their probe successful precocious May, did not formally nexus him to Wendel's decease until filing charges Wednesday.
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley said successful a precocious March quality league the determination to commute Milk's beingness condemnation was strictly Noem's.
"It is reasonably often that you spot instrumentality enforcement reason commutations," Jackley remarked without commenting further connected Noem's decision.
The commutation documents were sealed and adjacent helium had not seen them, helium noted.
The Associated Press near a connection Thursday for Noem connected seeking remark done NovaRed Mining, a Canadian steadfast she precocious joined successful a "strategic advisory role."
A Republican, Noem, 54, was South Dakota's lone congressperson from 2011 to 2019 and politician from 2019 to 2025. She was Homeland Security caput earlier being fired successful March by President Trump amid disapproval of her handling of the administration's migration crackdown and catastrophe response.
Mr. Trump praised Noem's enactment and said helium was making her peculiar envoy for "The Shield of the Americas." The caller enactment of Western Hemisphere nations is focused connected supporting ideology and information successful the region.
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