This is the scene of a fatal shooting still under investigation in Huron. In April, police found a man lying dead in the driveway at Prairie Villa Trailer Court #151, which is located at 1400 21st Street SW.
Story Created:
Jun 23, 2009 at 2:56 PM CST
Story Updated:
Jun 23, 2009 at 6:24 PM CST
It’s been more than two months since a Huron man was shot and killed and while police have a suspect, they haven’t arrested him.
Speaking on behalf of the Huron Police Department and as the lead prosecutor on the case, Beadle County State’s Attorney Michael Moore identifies 41-year-old John LeGrand as the shooter. Allegedly, the Huron man fatally shot 23-year-old Ricardo “R.J.” Hein on April 16.
Even though Moore says LeGrand is the only suspect in this case, authorities have not yet arrested him. LeGrand has not spent any time in jail for the crime and no charges have been filed against him yet either.
Action News spoke with Huron mayor, David McGirr, who hinted that about a week after the murder, LeGrand moved across the state to the Black Hills area. McGirr expressed concern with the lengthy investigation into his city’s third homicide this year. He said, “It would be nice to see results soon, but as long as DCI is heading the investigation, it’s out of my hands.”
In a phone interview, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (SD DCI) spokesperson Sara Rabern couldn’t confirm LeGrand’s whereabouts. However, Rabern says his location shouldn’t matter as long as LeGrand stays within state lines. On that, Moore assures that LeGrand has shown no indication of fleeing the state.
It seems authorities are waiting for their investigation to come to fruition. Moore is still expecting to receive DNA and ballistics test results from a laboratory. Once he receives them, the case will move forward.
“I will decide what, if any, charges will be brought up by the end of the investigation in mid-July,” said Moore, who also leaves open the possiblity of self-defense on LeGrand's part.
The shooting took place at 1400 21st Street SW at Prairie Villa Trailer Court #151. At around 5:30 on the night of the shooting, a woman called 911 saying someone tried breaking in to the mobile home. She told dispatch that the intruder may have been shot.
Police raced to the trailer court and upon arrival, found the body of Hein lying dead in the driveway of the mobile home. Neither the police nor Moore will reveal whether Hein was shot inside the mobile home or somewhere else.
Moore says a handful of the LeGrand family was at the mobile home when the shooting happened, but wouldn’t say whether anyone actually witnessed it. He did, however, comment that LeGrand and Hein were far from strangers. But the nature of their relationship prior to the incident has not yet been made public.
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