Pine Ridge Man Pleads Not Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter

U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of South Dakota
September 24, 2010

U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for involuntary manslaughter. John David Looking Elk, age 19, of Pine Ridge, was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 21, 2010, for involuntary manslaughter. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on September 24, 2010, and pled not guilty to the indictment. The maximum penalty upon conviction is eight years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both. The charge is merely an accusation, and Looking Elk is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn G. Olson is prosecuting the case. Looking Elk was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal. A trial date has not yet been set.