Richard sentenced to life for Christmas Eve murder

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO.com) — Elias Richard was sentenced to life in the South Dakota State Penitentiary on Monday.  He was convicted of Second-Degree Murder in Pennington County in July for killing Vernall Marshall on Christmas Eve in 2020. Richard, now 23, had met Marshall in Rapid City for a drug transaction.  An altercation ensued and Richard fatally shot Marshall. Assistant Attorney General Trevor Thielen, who prosecuted the case, says Richard “won’t have the chance to inflict any additional violence in our communities”. Richard will not have the possibility of parole.