Wanblee Man Sentenced for Second Degree Murder and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Wanblee, South Dakota, man convicted of Second Degree Murder and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon was sentenced on September 7, 2017, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.

Leon “Gogg” Between Lodges, a/k/a Leon Milk, age 34, was sentenced to 15 years in custody, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,023.37 in restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund on the Second Degree Murder charge. Between Lodges was sentenced to 10 years in custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund on the Assault with a Dangerous Weapon charge. The sentences were ordered to be served concurrently.

The conviction stems from Between Lodges using a stiletto automatic knife to stab two male individuals on May 27, 2016, at Wanblee. One of these individuals was stabbed in the chest, striking his carotid artery and fatally injuring him. The second victim was stabbed in the back two times and was life-flighted to Scottsbluff, Nebraska, for treatment.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.

Between Lodges was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.