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Two Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for 2019 Murder of Teen on Rosebud Reservation

Dillion Millard and Charmaine Medicine each received 30-year sentences for second-degree murder in the death of a 15-year-old boy.

4 reports on this incident · first at Aug 18, 2026, 7:53 a.m. ET

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 25, 2026, 6:00 a.m. ETUpdated Aug 25, 2026, 9:31 a.m. ET
On August 10, 2026, U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte Dillion Millard, 27, of Rosebud, and Charmaine Medicine, 31, of Parmelee, to 30 years in federal prison for second-degree murder, according to the for the District of South Dakota. Both were also ordered to serve five years of supervised release and pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Millard pleaded guilty on August 13, 2025, and Medicine pleaded guilty on May 12, 2026, following a federal grand jury indictment in June 2024. The convictions stem from an incident on July 9, 2019, on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in Todd County, South Dakota. According to the , Millard and Medicine picked up the victim, a 15-year-old male, and told him they were going to drink alcohol together. They drove him to a park, where Millard strangled him, tied him to a tree by his neck with a belt, and later returned to pour oil on his body and set it on fire. Hikers discovered the body on July 10, 2019. Millard confessed in May 2024. announced the sentences on August 17, 2026, saying he was "relieved for the victim's family that they finally have some answers and can know that a measure of justice has been achieved." The case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson under the Major Crimes Act.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 18, 2026, 12:23 p.m. ET

    Two Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for 2019 Murder of Teenager

    On August 17, 2026, official records from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Dakota announced that Dillion Millard, 27, of Rosebud, and Charmaine Medicine, 31, of Parmelee, were sentenced on August 10, 2026, to 30 years in federal prison following their guilty pleas to second-degree murder. U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte also ordered each defendant to serve five years of supervised release and pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Millard pleaded guilty on August 13, 2025, and Medicine pleaded guilty on May 12, 2026. Official records state that on July 9, 2019, Millard and Medicine picked up the 15-year-old victim on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation under the pretense of drinking alcohol, took him to a nearby park, and after he became intoxicated, Millard strangled him, tied him to a tree branch with a belt, and later returned with Medicine to set the body on fire. The case remained under active investigation until Millard confessed in May 2024.

    The prosecution was handled under the Major Crimes Act by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson following an investigation by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons stated, "I am so saddened and disheartened by the inhumanity of this terrible crime. But I’m relieved for the victim’s family that they finally have some answers and can know that a measure of justice has been achieved."

  2. Aug 18, 2026, 12:22 p.m. ET

    Two Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for 2019 Rosebud Reservation Murder

    On August 10, 2026, U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte sentenced Dillion Millard, 27, of Rosebud, South Dakota, and Charmaine Medicine, 31, of Parmelee, South Dakota, to 30 years in federal prison each for second-degree murder, according to official records from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Dakota announced on August 17, 2026. Both defendants were also sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, as reported by KOTA TV and official court documents.

    According to official documents, Millard pleaded guilty on August 13, 2025, and Medicine pleaded guilty on May 12, 2026, following their indictment by a federal grand jury in June 2024. Investigators stated that on the morning of July 9, 2019, Millard and Medicine picked up a 15-year-old male on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in Todd County, drove him to a park to drink alcohol, and Millard strangled the teenager after he became intoxicated. Millard then tied the victim to a tree branch by his neck using a belt, and both defendants returned hours later to pour oil on the body and light it on fire. Hikers discovered the body on July 10, 2019.

    The case remained under active investigation by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives until Millard confessed in May 2024. U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons expressed sadness over the crime's inhumanity but noted relief that the victim's family achieved a measure of justice. The matter was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson under the federal Major Crimes Act. Following their sentencing hearings, both defendants were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

  3. Aug 18, 2026, 7:53 a.m. ETFirst report

    Two Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for 2019 Murder on Rosebud Reservation

    On August 17, 2026, official documents from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Dakota detailed the sentencing of two individuals in a developing case involving a July 2019 murder on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On August 10, 2026, U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte sentenced 27-year-old Dillion Millard of Rosebud, South Dakota, and 31-year-old Charmaine Medicine of Parmelee, South Dakota, to 30 years in federal prison. Both were ordered to serve five years of supervised release and pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    According to official records from the U.S. Attorney's Office, the convictions stem from an incident on July 9, 2019, in Todd County, South Dakota. During the early morning hours, Millard and Medicine picked up a 15-year-old male victim from his residence to drink alcoholic beverages. At a secluded area in a nearby park, Millard strangled the intoxicated victim, dragged his body to a tree, and tied him to a branch by his neck using a belt. The pair left, then returned a few hours later, poured oil on the victim's body, and set him on fire. Hikers discovered the body on the afternoon of July 10, 2019.

    The case remained under active investigation until May 2024, when Millard confessed to his and Medicine's actions. A federal grand jury indicted them in June 2024. Millard pleaded guilty on August 13, 2025, and Medicine pleaded guilty on May 12, 2026. U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons stated, "I am so saddened and disheartened by the inhumanity of this terrible crime. But I’m relieved for the victim’s family that they finally have some answers and can know that a measure of justice has been achieved."

    Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case under the Major Crimes Act following an investigation by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Both Millard and Medicine were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following their sentencing hearings.

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Revision history

  1. Version 225 Aug 2026, 13:31current

    Updated to include official U.S. Attorney's Office record as primary source and added attribution for sentencing details.

  2. Version 118 Aug 2026, 16:22current

    First published.

  3. Version 118 Aug 2026, 11:53current

    First published.

  4. Version 118 Aug 2026, 16:23current

    First published.

  5. Version 118 Aug 2026, 16:07

    First published.

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