In the early hours of a Saturday morning in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the life of 28-year-old Richard Sowers, a Lakota Sioux man, was tragically cut short. On March 16, 2024, police responded to a call about an unknown problem at a downtown apartment building on East 12th Street shortly after 2:15 AM. Upon their arrival, they discovered Sowers in the hallway, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso.
He was alive but in great distress, moaning and telling the officers that he had been shot. Sowers was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries, marking the city's first homicide of the year.
The initial moments of the investigation were challenging as Sowers was unable to identify his assailant to the first officer on the scene. However, a crucial witness, a tenant in the apartment building, provided investigators with their first lead. The tenant reported hearing a fight and, upon opening his door, found Sowers lying on the floor. He also witnessed a man hastily leaving the scene. The witness described the man as being Native American, about six feet tall with a larger build, and having long black hair, a beard, and a mustache. This description, coupled with security camera footage from nearby businesses, proved vital to the case. The footage showed Sowers returning to his second-floor apartment with two women, and then the suspect, identified as 38-year-old Edward Brinkley, arriving just over 20 minutes later. The two women who were with Sowers later identified Brinkley from a police photo lineup.
With a suspect identified, the Sioux Falls Police Department moved swiftly. On the evening of Monday, March 18, 2024, at approximately 7:30 PM, Edward Brinkley of Sioux Falls was arrested without incident in the vicinity of 10th and Cliff. Brinkley, who has a lengthy criminal record, was charged with second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a violent or drug-related convicted felon. He was taken to the Minnehaha County Jail and is being held on a $1 million bond. While an arrest has been made, the motive for the shooting and the relationship between Sowers and Brinkley remain under investigation by the authorities.
