Kristi Noem under scrutiny after man she freed faces charges in niece’s death (opens original article in a new tab)

A man whose life sentence was commuted by South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem faces charges in the death of his 14-year-old niece, sparking scrutiny of Noem's decision.

• Two men, including a man whose life sentence was commuted by Kristi Noem, face charges in the death of 14-year-old McKenna Wendel
• Mark Milk was almost three decades into a life term for manslaughter when Noem commuted his sentence in 2023
• Wendel's body was found five days after she went missing in March, with Milk facing charges including possession of cocaine that caused her death
• Jon Rogness faces conspiracy and accessory charges in an alleged cover-up of the crimes
• Noem's commutation of Milk's sentence is under scrutiny following the charges