The South Dakota Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction of a Pierre man for causing the death of his then-girlfriend’s two-year-old son.
Tristan Larson had appealed his conviction to the Supreme Court arguing that prosecutors should have been barred from using statements he made to a Pierre Police Department Detective and that the Supreme Court should grant him an acquittal.
Last month (Oct. 2022), the Supreme Court rejected Larson’s arguments and unanimously upheld his May 28, 2021, convictions for Second Degree Murder and Aggravated Battery of an Infant. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in the state penitentiary on the first count and 55 years for the second count.
Court information says on April 16, 2020, Larson was home watching his then-girlfriend’s two-year-old son, Easton, while she was at work. Larson shoved Easton with enough force to cause the toddler to die two days later from injuries sustained from the shove.
Hughes County States Attorney Jessica LaMie says, “Nothing we can do can bring Easton back to his mother. But we will always work to hold accountable those who harm South Dakota children.”
LaMie tried the case in front of a Hughes County jury with assistance from Deputy Attorney General Brent Kempema and Deputy Attorney General Robert Mayer. The Pierre Police Department, the state Division of Criminal Investigation and the Hughes County Victim’s Assistance Program also helped with investigating and prosecuting the case.
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