Allen woman pleads guilty to murder

An Allen woman pleads guilty to murder Friday in Federal Court in Rapid City. 20-year old Jonnie Fineran pleaded guilty to second degree murder in the stabbing death of Thomas Sitting Bear in Manderson in July of 2020.

According to the factual basis statement signed by Fineran, she and a juvenile stabbed Sitting Bear while he was sleeping, leaving him with over 60 stab wounds including ten that punctured his heart. That statement says the pair then beat Sitting Bear with a baseball bat and put his body in a plastic tote bin. Fineran faces up to life in prison when she’s sentenced, but in the plea agreement, prosecutors agree to recommend a sentence of between 19 years seven months and 24 years five months.