On a chaotic Saturday morning in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the life of 34-year-old Michael Andrew Thompson, a Caucasian male, was tragically cut short. The incident, which occurred on June 8, 2024, unfolded at a house party in a residential neighborhood, leaving two others deceased in what became the city's first triple homicide in over five decades.
Police were called to a residence near the intersection of South Drexel Drive and 58th Street around 3 a.m.
Upon arrival, they discovered a chaotic scene where a gathering of about a dozen people around a bonfire had turned deadly. Thompson, along with Daniel Carl Kemnitz, 43, and Kellie Elizabeth Reaves, 43, all from Sioux Falls, were found with fatal gunshot wounds. Two other individuals were also injured in the shooting but sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
In the aftermath of the violence, law enforcement quickly identified and apprehended a suspect. Justin Cody Rackley, a 30-year-old from Sioux Falls, was arrested in connection with the killings. He has since been charged with three counts of first-degree murder. Authorities recovered a handgun at the scene and have been actively interviewing witnesses who were present at the gathering to piece together the events that led to the shooting.
While the investigation is ongoing, police have indicated that the motive does not appear to be a crime of passion or robbery. Court proceedings have begun, with Rackley pleading not guilty to the murder charges. He is currently being held at the Minnehaha County Jail. In October 2025, a jury found Justin Cody Rackley guilty of three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault, leading to a sentence of three consecutive life sentences without parole, in addition to 30 more years.
