Noem-commuted life – A man whose life sentence was commuted by former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem in 2023 has been charged in the death of his niece, 14-year-old McKenna Wendel, whose body was found outside Brookings, South Dakota, five days after she went missing in March. Pros
For five days in March, 14-year-old McKenna Wendel was missing from her hometown of Sioux Falls. On March 19, her body was found outside Brookings, about an hour north of Sioux Falls. By the time charges were filed. the case had already taken on a grim momentum—now. prosecutors say. it involves adults accused not just of a crime. but of trying to hide it.
Two men have been charged in connection with Wendel’s death, including her uncle, 51-year-old Mark Milk of Sioux Falls. Milk faces five counts related to Wendel’s death. According to court documents, he is charged with possession with intent to deliver cocaine that caused Wendel’s death. He is also charged with transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
The second defendant is Jon Rogness, 38, of Brookings. He faces conspiracy and accessory charges tied to an alleged attempt to cover up the crimes.
The charges were announced Thursday at a news conference in Sioux City. Iowa. where federal prosecutors emphasized how seriously they view the case. Leif Olson, U.S. attorney for northern Iowa. said the counts against the men were the “most serious. readily provable” charges. and that all originated in Iowa. FBI special agent Gene Kowel called it “a horrific case. ” saying there are “no cases that we investigate that are more heart-wrenching and more tragic than the ones that involve children or the death of a child.”.
Court records show neither Milk nor Rogness had attorneys listed to comment on their behalf.
What makes the case resonate beyond the courtroom is the history attached to Milk’s name. In 2023, then-South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem commuted Milk’s nearly three-decade life term for a manslaughter conviction tied to an October 1993 stabbing death. Milk. who was 19 at the time. had been involved in several altercations in the city of Winner that ended with the death of Shawn Peneaux. according to records.
Authorities say Milk had been in jail on unrelated allegations of driving under the influence and eluding police when Wendel’s body was found. His name came up in public discussion about the case from the start. but prosecutors did not formally link him to Wendel’s death until they finished their investigation in late May and filed charges on Wednesday.
While details about Wendel’s death have remained limited. her life was described in an obituary as vibrant and full of affection for her community and animals. Wendel. who went missing March 13 and was last seen alive in Sioux Falls in the early hours of March 14. was raised by her grandparents. She and her grandparents were Rosebud Sioux Tribe members, and the obituary said she attended powwows often. It also said she “loved the singing and the beautiful sounds of the drums. ” and described her as having a “vibrant personality and a zest for life.”.
The role of the sentence commutation is part of the story prosecutors and politicians now have to grapple with. even as the investigation focuses on the criminal charges now in court filings. South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley. speaking at a news conference in late March. said the decision to commute Milk’s life sentence was strictly Noem’s. He remarked that it is “fairly often that you see law enforcement oppose commutations. ” but did not comment further on Noem’s decision. Jackley said the commutation documents were sealed, even though he had not seen them.
Noem, 54, is a Republican who served as South Dakota’s lone congressperson from 2011 to 2019 and as governor from 2019 to 2025. She previously served as Homeland Security secretary before being fired in March by President Donald Trump amid criticism of her handling of the administration’s immigration crackdown and disaster response. Trump praised Noem’s leadership and said he was making her a special envoy for “The Shield of the Americas.” The new organization of Western Hemisphere nations is focused on supporting democracy and security in the region.
The inquiry into Wendel’s death continues to unfold. with prosecutors refusing to release more than necessary about what they believe happened. In the meantime. the case forces a rare collision of timelines: a commutation decision from 2023. a missing child reported on March 13. a body found on March 19. and charges filed after an investigation finished in late May—each event building pressure in its own way. until the court papers finally put names to the allegations.
There are still questions the public has not been allowed to answer yet. including what investigators believe was done. when. and how the alleged attempts to conceal events fit into the sequence of alleged crimes. But in Sioux City on Thursday. authorities made clear they are pursuing what they described as the most serious charges they say they can prove.
McKenna Wendel Mark Milk Kristi Noem life sentence commuted Sioux Falls Brookings cocaine possession with intent to deliver transportation of a minor for criminal sexual activity Jon Rogness conspiracy charges accessory charges FBI Gene Kowel Leif Olson U.S. attorney northern Iowa
Wait so Noem commuted a life sentence?? That seems like a mistake.
This is so messed up. How is it possible the uncle is involved and then they try to cover it up like… what.
Noem commuted it in 2023 so that dude was basically out and then this happened, so yeah it’s on her right? I mean obviously they should’ve known, that’s just common sense.
I don’t even care about the legal words like conspiracy/accessory, like someone hid something. Also cocaine that caused death?? That’s wild. Poor 14-year-old, 5 days missing is terrifying. I hate that it says the charges were announced in Sioux City too, like why Iowa matters when she’s from SD.