On a chaotic morning in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 43-year-old Daniel Carl Kemnitz, a Caucasian male, was killed in a triple homicide. The incident, which also claimed the lives of 43-year-old Kellie Elizabeth Reaves and 34-year-old Michael Andrew Thompson, unfolded at a house party in a residential neighborhood. Two other individuals were also wounded during the event.
The gathering, described as a bonfire with about a dozen attendees, was taking place near the intersection of South
Drexel Drive and 58th Street in the early hours of Saturday, June 8, 2024. Shortly before 3 a.m., gunfire erupted, turning the social event into a scene of violence. When police arrived, they discovered the three deceased victims and the two injured individuals. A handgun was recovered at the scene.
Law enforcement arrested Justin Cody Rackley, a 30-year-old Sioux Falls resident, at the location of the shooting. Rackley, who had moved to South Dakota from Texas in 2020, was subsequently charged with three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault. Though the motive for the shooting remains unclear, authorities stated that it did not appear to be a robbery or a crime of passion. It was noted that alcohol was being consumed at the party.
Justin Cody Rackley pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, following a trial, a jury found him guilty on all counts. In October 2025, Rackley was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, along with an additional 30 years for the assaults. This violent incident marked the first triple homicide in Sioux Falls in over five decades.
