United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell has announced the conviction of McKenzie Big Crow, a 20-year-old resident of Porcupine, South Dakota. The jury found Big Crow guilty of involuntary manslaughter, violations under the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, and possession of an unregistered firearm after a three-day trial in federal district court in Rapid City.

The verdict was delivered on January 23, 2025. The charges related to the shooting deaths carry potential penalties including up to eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count. The firearms charge carries similar financial penalties but with a maximum prison term of ten years.

Big Crow was initially indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024 on multiple counts including second-degree murder and discharge of a firearm during a violent crime. The incident took place on August 20, 2023, near Porcupine when Big Crow was found with an illegally modified Savage Arms Model 62 semiautomatic rifle. He claimed that the weapon discharged accidentally from his backpack when it struck a door. This resulted in the death of Ashton Provost and her unborn child.

The investigation involved several agencies: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Heather Knox led the prosecution.

A presentence investigation has been ordered with sentencing scheduled for April 25, 2025. Big Crow remains in custody under the U.S. Marshals Service until then.