South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has announced the arrest of former Centerville Mayor Jay Ostrem in a triple murder investigation.
Ostrem, 64, has been charged with three counts of First Degree Murder in connection with the shooting deaths of three people Monday night in Centerville.
“Jay Ostrem has been arrested and charged with three counts of First Degree Murder, and law enforcement has secured the scene,” said Attorney General Jackley in a press release on Tuesday. “There is no further threat to the public.”
The Argus Leader reports: Court documents say that the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office dispatch center received a call at 9:44 p.m. from a man identifying himself as Zach Frankus, who reported a shooting at a residence in Centerville. Frankus said that his brother had been shot and killed by a man with a shotgun, adding that the shooter had returned to his home. Documents say that after some time, Frankus told the dispatcher that he had been shot, and eventually stopped speaking. Authorities responded to the scene, where a Game Fish and Parks officer saw Ostrem leaving the home identified at the scene of the shooting. Documents say Ostrem initially ignored commands to stop before laying down on the ground.
The victims have been identified as Paul Frankus, 26, Zach Frankus, 21, and Timothy Richmond, 35.
Police documents say that Ostrem was bleeding from his left hand and smelled of alcohol, according to the report. The former mayor was also in possession of a .380 handgun, an AR-style rifle, spent shotgun shell casings, and a spent rifle casing.
Ostrem's wife told police that they had been drinking with Paul Frankus on May 23 when he exposed his genitals and "forcibly" kissed her.
She said that she told her husband about the incident on May 27, which prompted him to "raging out of the house."
Ostrem is currently being held in the Minnehaha County Jail on a $1 million bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
