Absolu draws 3 life sentences for triple homicide

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Arnson Absolu was sentenced Friday to three consecutive life terms without parole for the murder of three people in 2020.

Last month, Absolu was convicted on three counts of first-degree murder. He killed Charles Red Willow, Ashley Nagy, and Dakota Zaiser in August 2020.

During the trial, prosecutors said it was a “cold-blooded murder, three vicious brutal murders.”

Red Willow and Nagy were found shot to death in an SUV at Thomson Park in Rapid City on Aug. 24, 2020. Zaiser, who originally went missing after the murders, was found buried near Sheridan Lake on Sept. 23, 2020.

In todays sentencing, Absolu received 3 life sentences without possibility of parole to be served consecutively. Absolu also has more than 150 thousand dollars in fines he has to pay. Along with that, a no contact order was issued for the victims families.

The killings were reportedly drug-related.

In todays sentencing, the court heard impact statements from the victims families.

Dixie Brown, Zaiser’s mother, said “The sentence you receive today will not make up for what you took from me, or the other 2 families that evening. What you get will never be the justice that we deserve for what you did to our children.”

“And I really don’t have any regrets about what happened to him, but it is what it is. God forgives, we don’t,” Robert Nagy, Nagy’s father said.

Donna Red Willow, Red Willow’s mother, said “I am glad that justice was served in Pennington county.”

Prosecution also spoke during his testimony. Roxanne Hammond, lead attorney on the case said “This has been a tragedy. They were kids.” Hammond continued saying “I’m sorry for what happened in your life to make you so cold, but it doesn’t excuse your actions.”

Before sentencing Absolu, Judge Robert Gusinsky had some comments for Absolu. Gusinsky stated “We heard from Maddie Ziegler in her witness statement. She said quote ‘you don’t kill for drugs, that’s stupid,’ I wish you would’ve listened to her, we wouldn’t be here right now.”

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