In the early morning hours of Saturday, March 16, 2024, the life of 28-year-old Richard Alexander Sowers, a Lakota Sioux man, was tragically cut short in a downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota apartment building. Responding to a call about an unknown problem shortly after 2:15 AM, police discovered Sowers in the hallway of the building on East 12th Street, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his torso.
He was found moaning and was able to tell officers he had been shot, though he could not identify his assailant at that moment.
Emergency surgery was performed at a local hospital in an effort to save his life, but Sowers ultimately succumbed to his injuries and passed away on March 17, 2024. The investigation into his death quickly became the city's first homicide of 2024. An apartment tenant reported hearing a fight before opening his door to find Sowers lying on the floor. The same tenant witnessed a man hastily leaving the scene. This witness described the man as being approximately 6 feet tall with a larger build, longer black hair, a beard, and a mustache.
Following the incident, the Sioux Falls Police Department launched an investigation that led to the identification and arrest of a suspect. On the evening of Monday, March 18, 2024, 38-year-old Edward Brinkley of Sioux Falls was taken into custody without incident in the vicinity of 10th and Cliff. Brinkley has been charged with second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is currently being held at the Minnehaha County Jail on a $1 million bond. Authorities are continuing to investigate the relationship between Sowers and Brinkley to determine a motive for the fatal shooting.
