On the evening of February 21, 2024, the life of Esther Marie Wolfe, a 25-year-old Native American woman, was cut short in Rapid City, South Dakota. A member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Esther was remembered by loved ones for her radiant smile and compassionate nature. A candlelight vigil held the day after her death drew more than 150 people, a testament to the community she had touched.
Just before 7 p.m., police responded to reports of gunshots near East North Street and Spring Street.
Officers arrived to find Esther with critical injuries. She was rushed to a local hospital, but she did not survive. The Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office would later describe the killing as a "public execution."
The investigation quickly led to the arrest of Ezekiel Mayweather, 23, who was charged with aiding and abetting first-degree murder. Prosecutors alleged that Mayweather orchestrated the killing as a misguided act of revenge. He held a baseless belief that Wolfe was responsible for the 2019 death of his brother, Michael, a claim that law enforcement had refuted. In a chilling detail, Esther was killed on what would have been Michael Mayweather's birthday. Authorities said Ezekiel Mayweather provided the gun and directed another person to carry out the shooting.
A week later, police arrested a second suspect, 21-year-old Arkadius Wright of Box Elder. He was charged with first-degree murder and identified by authorities as the person who carried out the fatal shooting at Mayweather's direction.
The two men were initially set to be tried as co-defendants, but a judge later granted a request to sever their cases. Arkadius Wright ultimately cooperated with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to manslaughter. For his role in orchestrating the crime, Ezekiel Mayweather was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
