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SD Supreme Court: New Trial For Michael Swan

SD Department of Corrections

A Milbank man convicted of second-degree murder is getting a new trial.

A Third Circuit jury found Michael Swan guilty in September 2017 of stomping his wife to death a year earlier. Swan was at that time 63 years old, and his wife was 77.

The trial judge refused to give the jury an instruction that they could also consider a lesser charge of manslaughter.

The Supreme Court says the trial judge abused his discretion by doing so.

SDPB's Victoria Wicks has this story.

Credit Scott Bratland website
Attorney Scott Bratland

Rapid City freelancer Victoria L. Wicks has been producing news for SDPB since August 2007. She Retired from this position in March 2023.