Rapid City woman convicted in death of boyfriend

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - Guilty. That’s what a Pennington County jury says after less than a day of deliberation in the murder trial of Ashley Peltier.

The trial lasted just over three days and went to the jury Thursday. The verdict came in before 4 p.m..

Peltier was convicted of first degree manslaughter in the stabbing death of James Rice at a Surfwood Drive apartment last June. Rice was stabbed once, with the knife piercing his heart.

Peltier was initially charged with first degree murder; which would have resulted in a mandatory life sentence without parole upon conviction. Peltier could still be sentenced to up to life in prison with the manslaughter conviction.