GUILTY SD - Tamara LaFramboise, 46, Yankton County, 1 Mar 2019 *arrest*

South Dakota man accused of killing and dismembering girlfriend | Daily Mail Online

A South Dakota man who suspected his girlfriend was cheating on him beat her to death and then dumped her mutilated body in a creek 600 miles away, where two boys walking their dog made the horrifying discovery, authorities say.

Tamara LaFramboise's dismembered corpse was found outside of Menominee, in rural Michigan, on Saturday, after she was reported missing March 5 by her worried mother. Her head, hands and feet had been removed and have yet to be found.

Stephen Falkenberg, 45, of Yankton, South Dakota, drove some 600 miles - to his brother's property - to dispose of the 46-year-old Native American woman's body, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports.

[...]

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Murder Suspect Makes First Yankton Court Appearance

A preliminary hearing date was set for murder suspect Stephen Robert Falkenberg at the First Judicial Circuit Court in Yankton on Thursday morning.

Falkenberg, 45, appeared with his attorney, Clint Sargent, before Magistrate Judge Kasey Sorensen. Prosecutor Douglas Barnett was present to represent South Dakota.

Falkenberg is charged with one count of second-degree murder relating to the death of Tamara Jo LaFramboise, who was reported missing on March 5. The charge carries a penalty of "no lesser sentence" than life in prison at a state facility, the magistrate said.

[...]

"What I saw today was a man that has no remorse," Zephier said. "I want to (talk) about the human factor and humanity. What that guy did, that did nothing for humanity."

The couple also noted that many missing and murdered Native American women’s cases do not get much attention and are subsequently forgotten.

"I looked at him, and he’s a big guy, and I thought, what would be so bad that you would want to do this to a beautiful women?" Bair said. "I don’t understand it. Right now, I am holding back because I don’t want to cry, but in my heart, it hurts bad. So I call in our songs — ‘Oyate!’ It means all the people — to all the people to not forget about this beautiful woman."

They noted that LaFramboise protested against the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline, so in their song, they named her "Sacred Water Woman."

[...]

According to the affidavit, Falkenberg’s aquaintance, Terri Thurman, pet sat for him while he went to visit family in Michigan during the days following LaFramboise’s disappearance. According to court documents, she told a coworker than Falkenberg hurt his hand punching an icicle.

[...]
 
Dismemberment evidence allowed in murder trial

A South Dakota judge has ruled that dismemberment evidence can be used in the trial of a man accused of killing his girlfriend and dumping her remains in a river in the Upper Peninsula.

The attorney for 45-year-old Robert Falkenberg argued the evidence might prejudice a jury against his client who has pleaded not guilty to killing Tamara LaFramboise last March.

Judge Expands Jury Pool

The jury selection and trial are scheduled for Jan. 9-24 at the Yankton County Courthouse and Safety Center in Yankton. If convicted of the Class B felony, Falkenberg could receive life imprisonment and a $50,000 fine.
 

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