MARCH 6, 2024:
Jeremiah Peacemaker spent 1,279 days in the Codington County jail awaiting trial for a murder he said he didn’t commit.
Late Tuesday night (March 5, 2024), a 12 person jury agreed with him.
The jury of 10 men and two women found Peacemaker not guilty on all three counts–First Degree Murder, Second Degree Murder and First Degree Manslaughter.
Peacemaker was charged with the August 2020 death of 28 year-old Kendra Owen, a Native American woman whose decapitated, decomposing body was found in her small apartment at 307 North Broadway in Watertown.
During closing arguments Tuesday, Attorney General Marty Jackley asked the jury to, “follow the evidence.”
His co-counsel, Brent Kempema told the jury, “science doesn’t lie, and science points its finger at Jeremiah Peacemaker.”
But the prosecution did not have a murder weapon to show the jury because none was ever found. Their strongest piece of evidence was Peacemaker’s right thumbprint found on a tube of toothpaste in Owen’s bathroom. The two sides disagreed on whether the substance found on the tube was blood.
Peacemaker was arrested in the early morning hours of September 3, 2020 following an eight hour long interview conducted primarily by former Watertown Police Detective Sergeant Chad Stahl and Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Agent Cam Corey.
Peacemaker never confessed. He told them he met Owen for the first time at his neighbor’s apartment the night of August 23, 2020, and at some point during that night, they walked to Doc’s Lounge to buy beer.
Peacemaker said he left Doc’s and walked home alone, but later reconnected with Owen at Doc’s around 2:30 a.m. on August 24th.
He told investigators he walked Owen home to her apartment, where he spent about 20 minutes listening to music with Owen and talking to her. He says she was, “good company,.” He said he used Owen’s bathroom, and then left.
Defense attorneys made light of the evidence, or lack thereof, in their closing statement.
Attorney Kate Benson called it a case, “with a lot of holes, no weapon and no motive.” She went on to criticize the South Dakota Crime Lab for writing what she said were misleading reports on the case, the DCI for failing to test many items of evidence found at the scene, including blankets, eyeglasses and a stocking cap, and called the Watertown Police Department’s investigation, “terrible.”
Judge Carmen means read the verdict to the court at 10:45 p.m. Tuesday.
Members of Owen’s family began screaming expletives in the court, and were escorted out.
Defense attorneys were escorted out of the courthouse flanked by Sheriff Brad Howell and deputies who were there to provide security for them.
(Story courtesy of news partner KWAT.)
MARCH 5, 2023, UPDATE:
WATERTOWN, S.D.–Jury deliberations are underway in the Watertown murder trial of Jeremiah Martin Peacemaker.
He’s charged with First Degree Murder in the death of 28 year-old Kendra Owen at her apartment at 307 North Broadway in Watertown.
Owen had been stabbed 16 times before her head was cut off.
Her decomposed body was found September 2, 2020.
Peacemaker told Watertown police over the course of an eight hour interrogation that he met Owen at Doc’s Bar in the early morning hours of August 24, 2020 and walked her home.
He said he had never met her before, but spent about 20 minutes in her apartment listening to music before leaving.
He repeatedly denied killing her.
No murder weapon was found.
Closing arguments began with prosecutor Brent Kempema telling the jury, “science doesn’t lie, it points its finger at Jeremiah Peacemaker.”
Kempema and Attorney General Marty Jackley used Peacemaker’s right thumb fingerprint that was found on a tube of toothpaste in Owen’s bathroom as their main piece of evidence linking him to the crime.
Prosecutors called it a, “bloody fingerprint;” something the defense contested throughout the duration of the trial. Defense attorneys said testing on the substance was only a “presumptive test,” not confirmatory.
Kempema said after decapitating the victim, Owen’s head was, “propped up on her bed like some sort of trophy.”
He also spoke of Peacemaker’s sweatshirt that had Owen’s blood and DNA on it, saying, “all of the facts point to Peacemaker’s guilt.”
Then it was the defense’s turn.
In her closing arguments, attorney Kate Benson called it a, “complicated case.”
She pointed out that Owen’s body did not contain any of Peacemaker’s DNA on it, even after vaginal, anal and oral swabbing was done.
She called the investigation in this murder case a, “failure of justice that is shocking.” Benson said the case is, “full of holes, with no weapon and no motive.”
She criticized the South Dakota Crime Lab for writing what she says were misleading reports, and the Division of Criminal Investigation for not testing numerous items found in Owen’s apartment, including blankets, Owen’s eyeglasses and a stocking cap found next to her body.
As for the Watertown Police Department, Benson said they conducted, “a terrible investigation that didn’t even exist” by failing to document witnesses they talked to. In her words, “Kendra
Owen deserved a better investigation.”
Jackley gave the final words to the jury in his rebuttal telling them to, “follow the evidence.”
He says the murder of Owen was a, “deliberate action,” and asked the jury to hold Peacemaker accountable.
The jury has the option of finding Peacemaker guilty of First Degree Murder, Second Degree Murder or First Degree Manslaughter, or acquitting him entirely.
(Story courtesy of news partner KWAT.)
MARCH 5, 2024:
Testimony is wrapping up today in the murder trial of a Watertown man.
Jeremiah Peacemaker has been on trial since late last month for the killing of 28 year-old Kendra Owen three and a half years ago.
She was found deceased in her apartment on North Broadway in Watertown.
She’s been stabbed and cut 16 times before she was decapitated.
Peacemaker has admitted walking her home from a downtown bar after a night of drinking, but he says he was only there for about 20 minutes before leaving.
His defense counsel made a motion during trial seeking an acquittal due to a lack of evidence, but the judge denied that motion.
(Story courtesy of news partner KWAT.)
FEBRUARY 26, 2024:
The murder trial of Jeremiah Peacemaker began Monday (Feb. 26, 2024) in Watertown.
He’s charged with First Degree Murder in the death of 28 year-old Kendra Owen, whose decapitated and decomposed body was found in her apartment at 307 1/2 North Broadway on September 2, 2020.
Police were called to conduct a welfare check at her home after friends and family had not heard from Owen for some time.
Prosecutors believe she was dead for more than a week before her body was found.
On Monday, several South Dakota DCI agents, including Nate Winter and now former agent Cam Corey, testified of what they found in Owen’s small apartment the night her body was discovered. They spoke of a strong foul odor of a decomposing body, and insect activity.
The jury also saw a graphic 10 minute video shot at the scene by DCI agent Jeff Kollars that showed the headless victim.
Much of the testimony centered on a tube of toothpaste found in Owen’s bathroom that contained a fingerprint on it.
Testimony in what’s expected to be a two week trial resumes at nine o’clock Tuesday morning.
(Story courtesy of news partner KWAT.)
JULY 13, 2021:
Prosecutors will not seek the death penalty in the case of a man charged in a Watertown homicide.
Jeremiah Peacemaker is facing a First Degree Murder charge in the killing of 28 year-old Kendra Owen last fall.
Owen’s body was found in her Watertown residence on September 2.
Peacemaker was arrested the following day.
If convicted, Peacemaker will spend life in prison.
His trial is scheduled to begin October 18.
(Story courtesy of news partner KWAT.)
FEBRUARY 17, 2021:
(KWAT)- New charges have been filed against a Watertown murder suspect that makes him eligible for the death penalty–if he’s convicted.
Forty one year-old Jeremiah Martin Peacemaker is accused of killing 28 year-old Kendra Owen at her Watertown residence last year. Police were called to conduct a welfare check on Owen after friends and family had not seen or heard from her.
They found her deceased, with numerous signs of trauma on her body.
Police quickly identified a suspect, and the day after Owen’s body was found, they arrested Peacemaker in Watertown.
Peacemaker was originally charged with Second Degree Murder. However, a Grand Jury was convened, and handed down a superseding indictment charging him with First Degree Murder that upon conviction, leaves only the death penalty or life in prison as sentencing options.
He pleaded not guilty during a court appearance today (Wednesday).
Police have said they believe Owen had been dead for several days before her body was discovered. They described the suspect and victim as, “recent acquaintances.”
A charging document indicates Owen’s death is believed to have occurred between the dates of August 24th and September 2nd, 2020–the latter of which is the day her body was discovered.
Witnesses who testified at the Grand Jury hearing included Watertown Police Detective Sergeant Chad Stahl, Watertown police officer Cody Trumm, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation Agents Cam Corey and Jeff Bellon, and Dr. Kenneth Snell, a pathologist with Sanford Health in Sioux Falls.
Peacemaker’s jury trial is scheduled for October 18th.
He’s being held in the Codington County Detention Center on one million dollars cash bail.
(Story courtesy of news partner KWAT.)
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