Angela Monclova
Librado Monclova
Diane Akins
Francis Lange
Charges against Scotland murder suspect upgraded, jury trial scheduled
Prosecutors have until Feb. 28, 2022 to decide whether to pursue the death penalty
Written By: Hunter Dunteman
TYNDALL — A Scotland man accused of killing three and severely injuring two others in an early-November shooting is now facing upgraded charges after he was arraigned Tuesday on two new counts of attempted murder.
Francis Lange, 42, was charged Nov. 10 with three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault and one count of commission of a felony with a firearm — but on Tuesday, a Bon Homme County grand jury determined enough evidence exists to justify two new counts of attempted murder, while still upholding all other charges.
Lange pleaded not guilty to all nine charges he was indicted on, leading the court to order a 10-day jury trial to begin in Oct. 24, 2022.
Lange's most severe charges — three counts of first-degree murder — carry a statutory minimum sentence of life in prison, but leaves the door open for prosecutors to pursue the death penalty.
In the court’s scheduling order, Circuit Court Judge Cheryle Gering set a Feb. 28 deadline for prosecutors to decide whether they intend to seek the death penalty — a rarely used practice.
Since 2000, five men have been executed in the state of South Dakota — most recently in 2019 — and all have been sentenced to death for murder. One man is currently awaiting execution.
In an effort to build his defense, attorneys representing Lange have received court approval to hire private investigator Jodi Hoffman at a cost of up to $5,000. Due to Lange’s financial standing, the cost will be incurred by the county.
Hoffman has worked as a private investigator for nearly two decades in South Dakota and Minnesota, specializing in criminal defense work, assisting with trial and trial preparation, according to her listing on the Minnesota Association of Private Investigators and Protective Agents website.
The court proceedings stem from a Nov. 9 shooting in Scotland, in which Lange is accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend and two others. Police later recovered a handgun in a nearby lot that matched a box located under Lange’s bed.
Court documents list at least 10 witnesses who have already testified in the case.
That state’s Unified Judicial System portal lists Lange’s next court appearance as Aug. 24, 2022. Jury selections are set to begin on Oct. 19, 2022.
Lange has until Sept. 12, 2022, to enter a change of plea.
https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/new...rial-scheduled
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