A YANKTON, SOUTH DAKOTA MAN HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON AFTER PLEADING GUILTY BUT MENTALLY ILL TO SECOND DEGREE MURDER IN CONNECTION WITH THE 2025 MURDER OF A YANKTON WOMAN.
33-YEAR-OLD CRAIG ALLEN NICHOLS, JR. ENTERED HIS GUILTY PLEA TUESDAY AND WAS SENTENCED IN YANKTON COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT.
HE WAS CHARGED IN THE JANUARY 2, 2025 DECAPITATION MURDER OF 41-YEAR-OLD HEATHER ANN BODDEN IN A YANKTON APARTMENT.
SOUTH DAKOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL MARTY JACKLEY SAYS HE OFFERS CONDOLENCES TO HEATHER’S FAMILY AND FRIENDS, AND DUE TO THE WORK OF THE INVESTIGATORS AND PROSECUTORS, THIS HORRIFIC CRIME WAS PROSECUTED TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW.
JACKLEY SAYS IN ACCEPTING THE PLEA, THE COURT CONSIDERED EVIDENCE FROM A QUALIFIED EVALUATOR INDICATING THAT, AT THE TIME OF THE OFFENSE, NICHOLS WAS SUFFERING FROM A MENTAL ILLNESS THAT AFFECTED HIS BEHAVIOR AND IMPACTED HIS JUDGMENT, BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE WRONGFULNESS OF HIS ACTIONS.
AS SUCH, THE DEFENDANT WAS NOT LEGALLY INSANE AT THE TIME OF THE OFFENSE.
A PLEA OF GUILTY BUT MENTALLY ILL DOES NOT ALTER THE STATUTORY PENALTY FOR SECOND DEGREE MURDER AND STILL RESULTS IN THE MANDATORY SENTENCE OF LIFE IMPRISONMENT THAT WAS IMPOSED.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE AND THE YANKTON COUNTY STATE’S ATTORNEY PROSECUTED THE CASE.
