Friday,  June 1, 2012 • Vol. 12--No. 323 • 24 of 32 •  Other Editions

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nie Mae Aquash. Prosecutors said Graham and two other AIM activists, Arlo Looking Cloud and Theda Clarke, killed Aquash because they suspected she was a government informant.
• Graham, a member of the Southern Tutchone tribe in Canada's Yukon Territory, argued that the government should not have been allowed to move his case from federal to state court after his extradition to the U.S.
• However, the state's highest court ruled unanimously that the state had jurisdiction to prosecute Graham and that prosecutors presented sufficient

evidence to convict him. Graham's sentence of life in prison without parole also is not grossly disproportionate to his crime, the justices said.
• "Indeed, the evidence reflects that Graham was involved in Aquash's initial kidnapping, in ensuring that she was kept in captivity, in transporting her to her place of death, and in the ultimate shooting," Justice Steven Zinter wrote for the court.
• Graham's lawyer, John R. Murphy of Rapid City, said he and Graham are disappointed in the ruling but will pursue secondary appeals.
• "We are going to continue to pursue relief both in the courts in the United States as well as seeking to address certain matters regarding the propriety of the extradition in Canada," Murphy said.
• South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley said state, federal and tribal authorities have cooperated for 35 years to bring justice for Aquash and her family.
• Asked if authorities are still investigating other suspects for possible involvement in Aquash's murder, Jackley said: "This remains an ongoing, open investigation."

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