(Undated, SD) — It may be a new year, but some of South Dakota’s biggest crime cases from 2024 are not over with. One of those is Moody County Chief Deputy Ken Prorok losing his life in the line of duty after a high-speed chase on Highway 34 last February. Joseph Hoek of Sioux Falls has pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge, accused of purposefully swerving and hitting Prorok, with a jury trial set for May. Former Centerville mayor Jay Ostrem is set to be back in court at the end of this month after he was accused for a triple murder in May. Police say an investigation is still open to find who’s responsible for leaving a baby found dead at a Sioux Falls recycling center in August. 2024 was also record year for homicides with 16, including a triple homicide which hasn’t happened in the city since 1973. The triple homicide case involving suspect Justin Rackley, who pleaded not guilty, is supposed to continue in court sometime this summer.
