TWO SOUTH DAKOTA MEN HAVE BEEN INDICTED ON FEDERAL CRIMINAL CHARGES IN IOWA RELATED TO THE DEATH OF A 14-YEAR-OLD SIOUX FALLS GIRL IN MARCH.
51-YEAR-OLD MARK MILK OF SIOUX FALLS AND 38-YEAR-OLD JON ROGNESS OF BROOKINGS SOUTH DAKOTA ARE CHARGED IN THE DEATH OF MCKENNA WENDEL, WHO WAS FOUND DEAD ON MARCH 19 IN BROOKINGS.
LEIF OLSON, U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF IOWA, SAYS MARK MILK FACES FIVE COUNTS:
WENDEL1 OC….FOR OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS. :27
OLSON SAYS JON ROGNESS WAS INDICTED ON TWO CHARGES RELATED TO THE MISSING-PERSON CASE OF WENDEL:
WENDEL2 OC…………THAT MILK FACES. :12
MILK’S INDICTMENT STATES HE KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY DISTRIBUTED A MIXTURE OR SUBSTANCE CONTAINING A DETECTABLE AMOUNT OF COCAINE IN IOWA ON OR ABOUT MARCH 14 THIS YEAR.
THE INVESTIGATION INCLUDED THE LYON COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT AND COUNTY ATTORNEY, BUT OLSON DID NOT MENTION THAT COUNTY AS TO WHY THE CASE WAS BEING TRIED IN IOWA AS WENDEL’S BODY WAS FOUND IN BROOKINGS:
WENDEL3 OC……DISTRICT OF IOWA. :11
OLSON SAYS THAT WOULD BE PROVEN AT THE TRIAL.
A FAMILY OBITUARY STATED MILK IS MCKENNA WENDEL’S UNCLE.
MILK HAD BEEN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR MANSLAUGHTER IN SOUTH DAKOTA OVER 30 YEARS AGO.
IN FEBRUARY OF 2023, GOVERNOR KRISTI NOEM COMMUTED HIS SENTENCE AND MILK WAS GRANTED PAROLE IN 2024.
MILK AND ROGNESS WILL HAVE AN INITIAL APPEARANCE BEFORE A JUDGE AT THE SIOUX CITY FEDERAL COURTHOUSE AT A DATE TO BE DETERMINED.
OLSON ANNOUNCED THE CHARGES IN A NEWS CONFERENCE AT HIS SIOUX CITY OFFICE:
