The much-anticipated trial of accused killer and conspirator Richard Hirth will not move forward as expected following the defense’s loss of a key witness.
He’s the last suspect to be tried in the murder-for-hire case of Jessica Rehfield – a Rapid City woman killed in 2015.
The Hirth trial was slated to advance through the next month, but the loss of an important witness for the defense raised concerns about the possibility of a fair trial.
The witness in question is Dr. William Stratford, who was to provide the mental examination of Hirth, who pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Stratford has faced allegations he violated the Controlled Substances Act.
Pennington County States Attorney Lara Roetzel explained the situation.
“The judge was confronted with the possibility (Stratford) would refuse to answer the state’s questions about those areas – (Stratford) was going to plea the fifth," Roetzel said. "So, when it got to the point the defense was saying their defense expert was refusing to come at all, there was no way the case could proceed. Insanity requires an expert opinion.”
Roetzel said this doesn’t mean the end of the Rehfeld legal saga.
“This case has been going on for seven years," Roetzel said. "We’ve been through two Supreme Court appeals. We’ve been through the pandemic, which delayed the case. There have been extreme legal circumstances in this case. To have this happen in this case is beyond disappointment. You search for a word more extreme than that – it’s devastating.”
Further, she said she’s confident in the state’s case against Hirth.
“The time and effort the state has gone through to prepare this case for trial cannot be overemphasized – it’s a very bad day," Roetzel said. "Are we giving up? Absolutely not. We believe in our case more than ever, we’ve worked it up and were ready to go to trial. We have never felt more confident in our desire to seek justice for Jessica Rehfeld.”
Prosecutors believe this development will delay Hirth’s trial by at least a calendar year.