A grand jury has indicted the man accused of killing a Turner County Sheriff's deputy. The indictment charges 19 year old Ethan Johns with alternate counts of First-Degree Murder and Second-Degree Murder in the death of Deputy Chad Mechels.

On March 16th, Ethan Johns made his first court appearance on charges he killed Deputy Mechels. Today, a grand jury indicted Johns on those charges.  The indictment says, in part, that they believe "that he did kill Chad Mechels without authority of law and with a premeditated design".

Investigators say the incident played out at Ethan John's farm near Marion. Deputy Chad Mechels showed up at the farm on the morning of March 15th to check on Johns. Court papers show dispatchers then got a call from a man identifying himself as Ethan Johns who reportedly told the dispatcher, "A cop walked into my house and I shot him". A short time later, Turner County Sheriff Byron Nogelmeier, drove past the Marion farm and saw Deputy Mechels' vehicle and his body. Mechels later died at Avera McKennan Hospital.

Ethan Johns is being held on a $1 million bond. If convicted, he could face life in prison, or the death penalty.