Two men accused of kidnapping and
murdering a schoolteacher in Montana and then burying her body in North Dakota, are facing the death penalty and possible federal charges, as reported by the Associated Press for Yahoo News and other media.
L.V.W. Jr., 48 and M.K.S., 22, allegedly kidnapped S.A. during her morning jog in Sidney, Mont., on January 7.
Within a week of her disappearance, both men were arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping. Their charges now, according to an amended complaint filed by prosecutor Mike Weber, have been changed to one count of deliberate homicide and one count of attempted kidnapping.
Included in the affidavit is a jailhouse confession in which M.K.S. allegedly admitted to killing S.A. by at first choking her, and then drowning her be sure she was dead. Also while in jail, M.K.S. told another inmate that the reason they committed the crime was because he and L.V.W. Jr. were high on drugs and that L.V.W. Jr. wanted to have sex with someone.
There are no sexual assault charges made in the affidavit.
Previous documents stated that M.K.S. said L.V.W. Jr. choked S.A. in the back of his car, and newer documents state her death occurred earlier, right after the kidnapping.
The affidavit reads, "(M.K.S.) said (S.A.) was jogging on a path and he was walking approaching her. (M.K.S.) said (S.A.) said 'Hi' as they passed each other. (M.K.S.) said he turned around and speared (S.A.) in the back of the head and knocked her down. (M.K.S.) said he choked her out."
Towards the end of March S.A.'s body was located off of Highway 1804 near Williston, N.D. The affidavit continued, "(L.V.W. Jr.) pointed to the approximate location of the actual hole where (S.A.) was buried. A broken branch was resting over the hole. (L.V.W. Jr.) advised (S.A.) was buried lying on her side in a fetal position. ... (L.V.W. Jr.) became emotional, cried and stated, 'I didn't kill that lady.'"
L.V.W. Jr. and M.K.S. are in the Richland County Jail with the bail set at $2.5 million each. As S.A. was allegedly moved across state lines, they may also be facing federal charges.
Both of the accused moved from Parachute, Colo., to seek work in the Bakken oil fields. Since S.A.'s kidnapping and murder, residents of the area have a growing concern about the number of strangers – thousands attracted to the promise of lucrative pay in the oil business – coming into close proximity of their homes. Authorities claim that there have been an increased number of applications for concealed weapons.
H.S., M.K.S.'s father, said that his son was guaranteed up to $2,000 a week for his work and was anxious to prove himself to family members. However, according to H.S., M.K.S. was unable to keep his previous positions for very long "because he didn't quite understand what to do." M.K.S., according to his father, never went beyond kindergarten in school and is illiterate.
L.V.W. Jr. has a criminal history and has served time in state prison.
Contact a criminal defense attorney if you are facing one or more criminal charges. Whether you are fighting a misdemeanor or a more serious offense, a criminal defense attorney serves you the best.
