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He reported that a masked intruder, who must have killed his wife and boys, had also surprised and shot him, then left, leaving him unconscious. But after a sensational murder trail that captured the attention of the state in 1982, he was found not guilty. The words "MATHUS SUCKS" were sprayed on the shed door in gold paint. lowest, which makes it above-average in terms of safety. With renewed insight from those involved, veteran South Dakota journalist Noel Hamiel explores this cold case of murder and mystery that still haunts the Mount Rushmore state. Ive been fascinated with the case, Hamielsaid. Why? The Mathis father threatened to smash my camera over my head as the family came out. Even though the born and bred South Dakotan was living in Kansas at the time, working at a daily newspaper, he kept reading the coverage of the Mathis murders in Mount Vernon. On Sept. 8, 1981, LaDonna Mathis and two of her three children were shot in the head at their home. You have permission to edit this article. Please subscribe to keep reading. Hamiel could have produced an interesting true-crime read by simply rehashing the already extensive reporting on the case. Mathis had been attacked and shot in the arm by a masked assailant who he said killed his family. Despite the missing murder weapon, a Davison County grand jury indicted John Mathis on three counts of murder. The South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation allowed Hamiel to review the case records, which added to the rich detail in the book, which is just around 110 pages because of his publishers insistence on a tight word count. Hamiel, now living in Rapid City, has published his findings in the book, "South Dakota . Everything worked out well. I felt a sense of time ticking and not just for me. Now Minnesota BCA will review the case, A Marine and his friend vanished in 'The Desert.' To add the following enhancements to your purchase, choose a different seller. Perhaps we were I certainly believe he was guilty. They didnt have a chance. Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2022. He didnt have a lot to say, rejecting an interview request. He claimed a mysterious hooded and masked man had emerged from the shadows in the middle of the night while he was checking on livestock and wounded him Mathis was shot in the left arm before going into the shed and murdering Ladonna and two of their sons. Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site. He fought with the man and was subsequently shot in the left arm, causing him to pass out. We examine both sides of this harrowing and controversial case on this weeks episode of The Trail Went Cold. Searchers turned the farm upside down, even draining and searching hog waste facilities, an extremely unpleasant task. Despite the thorough investigations conducted by numerous law enforcement officials, neither. A lack of prosecution witnesses and a murder weapon that could not be found, coupled with little other physical evidence on hand, gave the jury enough reasonable doubt to not convict him. Rapid City Area Schools Board of Education met Tuesday to review and discuss the safety assessment of every school in the district. It was an ugly scene at the Mathis farm outside of Mount Vernon Sept. 8, 1981. But, in May 1982, Mathis was acquitted of murdering his family and 40 years after the murders, it remains unsolved. He was acquitted of three first-degree murder. They moved into a machine shed on the farm, which is where Ladonna and her sons were murdered. Johns story never made sense and so that was reflected in the coverage they saw as biased. He was also found guilty of the murder of Larisa Dumansky. Published: Apr. No one was ever punished for the crime. Two of her three children, ages 2 and 4, were also shot in the head. However, the biggest issue with the prosecution's case was that the murder weapon was never found, even after a thorough search was performed of every square inch of Mathis' property. If so, why would they have misspelled their own name? Author. Meierhenry told the Republic in 2011 said he respected the verdict, though he did not go on the record on his personal beliefs on Mathis guilt or innocence. The spray-paint can that wrote the obscene, misspelled words on the barn also has not been located. 25 copies. Details. So he went straight to the source, speaking with Gary Lutgen, the court reporter who was in the room during the month-long trial in Yankton. Only In Your State staff writer for South Dakota. Some of the best sources for finding a list of. I think I was haunted by the horrendousness of the crime because of the children, Hamiel said. I was a senior at SDSU that spring, and my friends and I watched and read news stories on the trial. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon, [{"displayPrice":"$20.13","priceAmount":20.13,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"20","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"13","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"2SnkbaDEG2RWYD77Iz1J6tzJU8Qo5WhIIgF6KhKI5XqQ5gEl2zWCAuqqvpuwg%2F5t2QEW8yUKwYgdyXjfNC7pSjSgXD%2BI3L7QeudasXiq%2F5mntG8LfalTDEEc6q1yCYHrJPfQE93s8G61hICqxHVXdg%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW"}]. He then attempted to go after his sister and a foreign exchange student. Welcome to the launch of The South Dakota Standard! Hamiel started at the Huron Plainsman, with stints as editor of the Brookings Register, publisher at the Yankton Press & Dakotan, assistant metro editor at the Cincinnati Post, and the final 14 years at The Daily Republic, where he retired as publisher in 2007. John Mathis reportedly had a low IQ, and couldnt have planned that, could he? That same year, he was inducted into the South Dakota Newspaper Hall of Fame, a fitting tribute to his career. Its a dark chapter in our states history. "After I retired, I thought, 'you know, I think that would be worthy of a more in-depth look.'". Two of her three children, ages 2 and 4, were also shot in the head. He then blamed the investigation for the trial and lingering mystery. Ladonna Mathis was shot twice in the head at point-blank range inside the family's metal shed serving as their makeshift home. South Dakota's Mathis Family Murders brought death and deception to the heartland. But one expert witness testified that there wasnt enough evidence to connect the bullets with the bullets that killed the three victims. Vanished in Vermillion: The Real Story of South Dakotas Most Infamous Cold Case, A Call to Remember: The Girl Who Wouldnt Testify and the Woman Who Will, The Big Book of Serial Killers (An Encyclopedia of Serial Killers), 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Select a location to see product availability. Doug Kirkus, then a deputy with the Davison County Sheriffs Office and a former high school classmate of Mathis, got a call from him at 3:54 a.m. that night. The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. There are, of course, the above-mentioned Mathis family murders, and the murders of William Kunnecke, but what about others? He is a South Dakota native who graduated from Chamberlain High School and Northern State University, where he majored in English before a long, successful and acclaimed career in newspapers. It was perhaps the most infamous murder case in state history. South Dakota's Mathis Family Murders brought death and deception to the heartland. The impact and infamy of the murders and trial years later shows that the crime affected not only the victims, their family and those who worked to prosecute and defend Mathis, but also the residents of Davison County and South Dakota itself, cannot be overstated, Meierhenry said. Love South Dakota? In 1981, a 30-year old man by the name of John Mathis lived on a farm outside Mount Vernon in South Dakota. He said a masked man had carried out the attack, but investigators considered him the prime suspect. South Dakota's Mathis Murders : Horror in the Heartland by Hamiel, Noel and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. 38 . The South Dakota State Historical Society's virtual "History Talks" author/speaker series for December features veteran journalist and former state legislator Noel Hamiel and his new book, "South Dakota's Mathis Murders: Horror in the Heartland." This free virtual event will be held December 8 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. Two of her three children, ages 2 and 4, were also shot in the head. After being added to the FBI's very first Ten Most Wanted List, Nesbit was arrested and promptly returned to prison. Duane Mathis contacted our office to make his first public comments, saying he remained convinced his father was innocent, and wishing the media would stop writing about the events that forever changed his family. He was unharmed, and remains close to his father to this day, dismissing theories that John Mathis murdered his wife and sons. Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2022. The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote. South Dakota's Mathis Family Murders brought death and deception to the heartland. Click here to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. To see our price, add these items to your cart. When John woke up, he discovered the attacker was gone and his wife and two sons had been shot to death. - Tom Lawrence). Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2023. A Yankton County jury found him not guilty in May 1982, but some people,. Robert committed the murder using a lead pipe; he was sentenced to death for his crimes. That led investigators to look closer at Vern Mathis, Sr., John Mathis father, who Swenson said had long been close to his son. Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. On May 12, 1982, the jury returned with its verdict: Not guilty. South Dakota's Mathis Family Murders brought death and deception to the heartland. Contact tsitrian@gmail.com, Wall, South Dakota and its world famous Drug Store. Im living proof that my dad was not the monster people portrayed him to be, Hamiel said. The family members were clearly dead, so Kirkus provided first aid to Mathis and later spoke with him at the hospital. A former state legislator, he was inducted into the South Dakota Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2012. The biggest question, asked then and now: Did John Mathis kill three members of his family? I have read South Dakotas Mathis Murders: Horror in the Heartland twice now. Jeremy Fugleberg is editor of The Vault, Forum Communications Co.'s home for Midwest history, mysteries, crime and culture. South Dakota's Mathis Family Murders brought death and deception to the heartland. The graphic details of the murders, the arrest and the trial for John Mathis are all detailed in this new book South Dakota's Mathis Murders: Horror in the Heartland. Two of her three children, ages 2 and 4, were also shot in the head. Please enable javascript and refresh the page to continue reading local news. order a copy on Amazon.com At the age of 16, Josh Gilchrist used a sword to murder his mother, Betty, in Huron, South Dakota. While John was being questioned at the hospital, it was Vern who insisted they leave the room. South Dakota's Mathis Family Murders brought death and deception to the heartland. Although Mathis's husband was charged with the crime, he was acquitted, leaving the case unsolved. Though charged with the crime, the husband was acquitted, leaving the door open for endless speculation about what really occurred on that late summer morning of Sept. 8, 1981. Ladonna Mathis was shot twice in the head. Ladonna Mathis was shot twice in the head at point-blank range inside the family's metal shed serving as their makeshift home. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges. https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/tbp5ju/TWC-Episode58-MathisFamilyMurders.mp3, The Trail Went Cold Episode 59 Maureen Fields and Jodine Serrin. South Dakota's Mathis Family Murders brought death and deception to the heartland. He also reached out to the lone surviving son, Duane Mathis. Elijah Page, assisted by two accomplices, was charged with the murder of Chester Poage. He awoke to find the man gone and his family dead, he said. Two of her three children, ages 2 and 4, were also shot in the head. Hamiel also interviewed defense lawyer Eklund and Gary Lutgen, the court reporter who worked throughout the trial and recounts what an emotional strain it put on all involved. He came to his senses, however, and did not seek a second term. "Someone has shot my family," Mathis told law enforcement. The main reason for writing the book is because it involved three innocent people, two of whom were children. In July of that year, the farm was hit with two house fires, the second of which burned the home to the ground. It was a blood-soaked night that rocked South Dakota and reverberated around the nation: A mother and two of her children shot dead in their beds on a farmstead near Mount Vernon, South Dakota, in the early morning hours of Sept. 8, 1981. "South Dakota's Mathis Murders: Horror in the Heartland" Mathis killings examined in new book 300. He and his wife, Janet, live in Rapid City and have three grown daughters and ten grandchildren. But from the very beginning, the questions piled up. Lover of to-do lists, cats, quiet spaces, and summer. Now Minnesota BCA will review the case. John was sitting inside the machine shed with a gunshot wound to his left arm, but LaDonna, Brian and Patrick were lying dead after being shot in their heads with a .22-caliber rifle. First of all, I read it because I have been a true crime fan for many years. I also saw that your book was our #1 Barnes and Noble seller last week.. Commentary And Information That Matter. Noel Hamiel. (Ladonnas family) still suffers to this day. South Dakota, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. You accuse somebody of a crime and the defenses job is to succeed in planting reasonable doubt, and the defense did that, Hamiel said. LaDonna Gerlach Mathis. To be honest, I was relieved to drive away that afternoon. They were killed with bullets from a .22 caliber rifle, which has never been found. "They were cheated out of life, their lives were cut short, nobody was ever held responsible or accountable for their deaths. The shootings took place on the Mathis family farm nine miles from Mount Vernon. Maybe someday, we will know what really happened on that farm on Sept. 8, 1981. The interviews were also critical, especially since there were no transcripts of the trial available on hand. This was well before TV shows and podcasts centered on mysterious murders were popular, but looking back, it shows how such stories have great power to attract an audience. -- A South Dakota couple who died in a murder-suicide last year stole hundreds of thousands of dollars that were intended to be used to help improve . In South Dakota, it's the murders of 30-year-old LaDonna Mathis and her two sons, aged 4 and 2, shot dead on September 8, 1981, in Mount Vernon in Davison County, South Dakota. They did follow every lead. It looks like WhatsApp is not installed on your phone. In a highly unusual move for the South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation, they allowed Hamiel access to the Mathis murder investigation documents. After leaving the Mitchell newsroom, Hamiel accepted a position with the South Dakota Community Foundation where he worked with communities statewide in philanthropic development until he retired in 2012. You can cancel at any time. Thank you! In 2005, Robert posed as a police officer, pulled a young woman over and bound her in his trunk. But he knows a heinous act was committed by someone, and three innocent people lost their lives to an unspeakable crime. He also served as an instructor in mass communications at St. Thomas More College, Fort Thomas, Ky., but his heart was in cranking out news and publishing strong newspapers. John and Ladonnas infant son, Duane, was not harmed and John, then 30, sustained minor injuries. John Mathis was a suspect from the first moments. Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. I dont believe he did it, Duane Mathis told the Republic in 2011. Who killed the 30-year-old woman and her sons, Brian, 4, and Patrick, 2? The crime was so horrendous, Hamiel said, that he remembers the Associated Press and television news reporting on the Mathis murders and the trial in April and May 1982. South Dakota's Mathis Murders : Noel Hamiel : 9781467150750 We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. The whole grim story is told in a new book, "South Dakota's Mathis Murders: Horror in the Heartland." It was researched and written by longtime South Dakota journalist Noel Hamiel (seen above in an image promoting his appearance at the University of South Dakota). Hamiel did something no other reporter has done for decades: He obtained comments from John Mathis. I knew a lot of the other principals were like me, they were getting older, he said, adding that the judge and jury foreperson had both died. Published And Edited By John Tsitrian And Tom Lawrence. Why? While Mathis was coming into the crosshairs of the case, investigators were dealing with roadblocks to finding the truth. The statute of limitations has expired on many of the potential charges. Or was that a clever choice to throw off investigators? The unsolved murder of Ladonna Mathis and her two young sons on a farm outside Mount Vernon, S.D., on Sept. 8, 1981, remains one of the most infamous crimes in state history. The Trail Went Cold will be appearing on podcast row at CrimeCon 2018 from May 4th-6th at the Gaylord Opryland hotel in Nashville. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved . In 1981, 30-year old John Mathis lived on a farm outside Mount Vernon, South Dakota with his 30-year old wife LaDonna and their three children: four-year old Brian, two-year old Patrick and nine-month old Duane. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. That seemingly casual comment became significant during the trial, when jurors spotted a .22 shell on the ground while on their way to dinner at a Yankton restaurant on the first day of deliberations.