DECEMBER 29, 2022:
Two of the seven inmates whose sentences were commuted by South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem on Christmas Eve were involved with deaths that occurred in Hughes and Lyman Counties in central South Dakota.
57-year-old Connie Hirsch of Blunt was sentenced May 17, 2012, to 35 years in prison for First-Degree Manslaughter in Hughes County.
34 year old Whitney Renae Turney of Oacoma was sentenced March 23, 2016, to 25 years in prison for First-Degree Manslaughter in Lyman County.
Hirsch was sentenced for the shooting death of her 65-year-old husband, Jerold Hirsch, in May 2010. In exchange for her plea, prosecutors dropped a murder charge.
Court information says Hirsch called the Pierre Police on the day of the alleged event, indicating she had shot her husband at Oahe Inc., where she was employed. Connie Hirsch had told law enforcement that she purchased a handgun for protection and kept it in her purse. It also says Jerold Hirsch allegedly arrived at the Oahe Inc. residence on May 9, 2010, and demanded sex from Connie Hirsch, and she then shot him in the bedroom.
Legal information goes on to say when police arrived, they found Jerold Hirsch’s deceased body wrapped in plastic packaging lying partially in her vehicle and partially on the ground next to the vehicle. She said she had attempted to transport the body in her vehicle, along with the bloody bedding, but changed her mind and called the police before she proceeded to do so.
A law enforcement affidavit states that Hirsch said she and her husband had had previous domestic disputes. It also indicates they were in an abusive relationship and in the process of getting a divorce.
Turney was charged with First-Degree Manslaughter shortly after the decomposing body of Calvin Shields was found near Crow Creek Reservation, under a bridge. According to court documents, Turney stabbed Shields with a kitchen knife after a fight. She was initially charged with Second Degree Murder, but agreed to a plea agreement reducing the charge to manslaughter.
Legal information says after the stabbing, Turney allegedly contacted an accomplice who helped place Shields into a dumpster and wheel him out and loaded him into a truck. Turney and Wells allegedly transported Shields’ body to the Crow Creek Reservation where they disposed of his body.
According to the state Department of Corrections the other five offenders whose sentences were commuted are:
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Tammy Kvasnicka, 40, was sentenced November 7, 2014, for first-degree manslaughter in Minnehaha County.
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Danielle Blakney, 30, was sentenced September 6, 2022, for possession of a controlled substance in Lawrence County.
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Jamie Christine Bosone, 32, was sentenced August 2, 2022, for possession of a controlled substance and keeping a place for distribution in Davison County.
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Jerome R. Ferguson, 44, was sentenced April 12, 2022, for possession of a controlled substance in Davison County.
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Britni Jean Goodhart, 32, was sentenced March 15, 2022, for possession of a controlled substance in Grant County.
Noem says these seven individuals had their sentences commuted to parole for the remainder of their sentence term with appropriate precautions in place, which include electronic monitoring, intensive parole supervision plans, and a return to prison for parole violations. The monitoring technology includes GPS monitoring and SCRAM units, which are Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring devices that alert if an offender is using alcohol. Each of these offenders, since being incarcerated, has followed rules and policies, showing a great propensity for success on parole supervision.
(The Associated Press contributed information for this story.)
DECEMBER 28, 2022:
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — A woman is criticizing Gov. Kristi Noem’s decision to release her father’s killer from prison.
Noem announced Monday that she had commuted seven prisoners’ sentences to parole, saying they had earned a second chance and present a low risk of recidivism.
One of the prisoners is Connie Hirsch. KELO-TV reported Wednesday that Hirsch in 2012 was convicted of first-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of her husband, Jerold Hirsch, in 2010. She was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Jarold Hirsch’s daughter, Sandra Lopez, told KELO-TV that she learned of Noem’s decision on Christmas Day through a victim advocate. No one consulted her, she said. If someone had, she would have asked why Connie Hirsch couldn’t have sat in prison until her parole date in 2026.
“I feel like I’m victimized all over again by Noem doing this,” Lopez said. “I don’t got a dad. I don’t get to see my dad. I got to go visit my dad at a grave. My kids got to go visit their grandpa at a grave. Her kids would’ve at least got to visit her behind bars. I mean, at least she was still alive.”
Two of the other prisoners who saw their sentences commuted — Tammy Kvasnicka and Whitney Renae Turney — also were sentenced for first-degree manslaughter. The other four were doing time for drug offenses, KELO-TV reported.
Noem spokesperson Ian Fury didn’t immediately return a message.
DECEMBER 24, 2022:
Gov. Kristi Noem has granted (Dec. 24, 2022) seven commutations for individuals incarcerated by the South Dakota Department of Corrections. These seven individuals have had their sentences commuted to parole for the remainder of their sentence term with appropriate precautions in place, which include electronic monitoring, intensive parole supervision plans, and a return to prison for parole violations. The monitoring technology includes GPS monitoring and SCRAM units, which are Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring devices that alert if an offender is using alcohol.
“These seven individuals have each earned a second chance. Each of these individuals has demonstrated a low risk of recidivism. They are being released with precautions in place such as electronic monitoring and parole supervision to help them succeed,” said Noem.
The seven individuals receiving commuted sentences are Danielle Blakney, Jamie Christine Bosone, Jerome R. Ferguson, Britni Jean Goodhart, Connie Hirsch, Tammy Kvasnicka, and Whitney Renae Turney.
Each of these offenders, since being incarcerated, has followed rules and policies, showing a great propensity for success on parole supervision.
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