A Pine Ridge man has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison following his conviction for voluntary manslaughter. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier handed down the sentence to Eugene Hunts Horse, 29, on May 2, 2025. Alongside the prison term, Hunts Horse faces three years of supervised release and must pay a $2,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hunts Horse was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024 and entered a guilty plea on January 17, 2025. The case stems from an incident on February 24, 2024, when the victim attempted to enter a residence in Wounded Knee known to him. An altercation ensued as a male occupant assaulted the victim with a weapon and led him away from the home.
Hunts Horse arrived during this confrontation and struck the victim multiple times with an object after mistakenly believing that the victim had earlier attacked his cousin with a hammer. This misunderstanding fueled Hunts Horse's actions leading to fatal consequences for the victim.
The Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety responded swiftly but found the victim near death with severe head injuries at the scene. Despite immediate attention, he succumbed to his injuries shortly after their arrival.
This case was prosecuted federally under the Major Crimes Act which requires certain violent crimes in Indian country be handled at this level rather than state courts. The investigation was conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety with Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen leading prosecution efforts.
Following sentencing, Hunts Horse was remanded into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service.