United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Second Degree Murder.
Julian Hard Heart, age 19, was indicted on January 20, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on January 26, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, up to five years of supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on or about November 28, 2021, Hard Heart murdered Devon Elk Boy. The charges are merely an accusation and Hard Heart is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case.
Hard Heart was detained pending trial. A trial date has been set for April 5, 2022.
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