Rosebud Woman Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter and Perjury

U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of South Dakota
14 August 2020

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Involuntary Manslaughter and Perjury.

Kaylee Spotted Elk, age 28, was indicted on March 2, 2020, for Involuntary Manslaughter and on June 16, 2020, for Perjury. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on August 14, 2020, and pled not guilty to the respective Indictments.

The maximum penalty Spotted Elk faces upon conviction is up to 8 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

The Indictment for Involuntary Manslaughter alleges that on January 12, 2020, in Todd County, South Dakota, Spotted Elk killed a man by operating a motor vehicle in a grossly negligent manner.

The Indictment for Perjury alleges that on November 6, 2019, Spotted Elk, knowingly lied about a material fact at a federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota, while she was under oath and swore to tell the truth.

The charges are merely accusations and Spotted Elk is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigations are being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kirk W. Albertson and Cameron J. Cook are prosecuting the cases.

Spotted Elk was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.