Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Eugene Hunts Horse, a resident of Pine Ridge, South Dakota, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for voluntary manslaughter. The sentencing was delivered by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier on May 2, 2025.
Hunts Horse, aged 29, will also serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and is required to pay a $2,000 fine along with a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The case began when a federal grand jury indicted Hunts Horse in May 2024. He entered a guilty plea on January 17, 2025.
The incident occurred on February 24, 2024, when the victim attempted to enter a residence in Wounded Knee. The victim was familiar with the occupants but was assaulted by an individual inside the home and directed away from the property. Hunts Horse arrived during this altercation and struck the victim multiple times with an object. Believing that the victim had earlier attacked his cousin with a hammer, Hunts Horse acted out of anger and fatally injured the victim. It was later discovered that the victim was not responsible for attacking Hunts Horse's cousin.
The Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety responded to the scene and found the victim near the driveway with severe head injuries. Despite efforts to assist him, he succumbed to his injuries shortly after officers arrived.
This case fell under federal jurisdiction due to the Major Crimes Act, which requires certain violent crimes occurring in Indian country to be prosecuted federally rather than at the state level.
The investigation was conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen. Following sentencing, Hunts Horse was placed into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.
