Friday,  July 6, 2012 • Vol. 12--No. 358 • 19 of 30 •  Other Editions

(Continued from page 18)

• The Sheriff's Office says the names of the 12-year-old and 2-year-old are not being released at this time.
• The Daily Republic reports that the death occurred at a rural residence in Wagner. A 911 call from the residence reported that the child was not breathing.
• The Sheriff's Office is working with the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation on the case. A DCI spokeswoman referred questions to the Sheriff's Office.

Supreme Court ruling could affect 3 SD inmates

• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- Officials in South Dakota have identified three inmates in

the state prison system who are serving mandatory life sentences for murders they committed when they were younger than 18, Attorney General Marty Jackley announced Thursday.
• A U.S. Supreme Court decision last month said mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juvenile homicide offenders violates the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The decision's impact on the South Dakota cases is unclear.
• More than 2,000 people are in U.S. prisons under such a sentence. Some might win immediate release, while others still could be kept locked up for life. Judges also could impose new sentences carrying a specific number of years and a parole review.
• The three South Dakota inmates serving mandatory life sentences for murders committed when they were under 18 are Paul D. Jensen, Daniel N. Charles and Jessi Owens.
• The Supreme Court decision "may not impact the mandatory life sentences imposed on Jensen, Charles and Owens," Jackley said in a news release. "Courts must determine if the decision retroactively applies to juveniles previously sentenced to life imprisonment."
• If the courts determine it can be applied retroactively, a separate sentencing will be required, he said.
• Jensen was 14 years old when a jury convicted him of first-degree murder for the death of Michael Hare in 1996. Hare, a cab driver from Pierre, was kidnapped, robbed and killed for his fare, which totaled $36.48. Jensen also received a life sentence for the kidnapping.
• Charles was 14 when a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder for fatally shooting his stepfather, Duane Ingalls, in the head with a rifle in 1999.

(Continued on page 20)

© 2012 Groton Daily Independent • To send correspondence, click here.