(Radio Iowa) – The uncle of a 14-year-old girl who was body was in South Dakota three months ago has been indicted in Iowa in connection with her death. McKenna Wendel of Sioux Falls was found dead in Brookings, South Dakota on March 19th. U-S Attorney Leif Olson announced the federal indictments during a news conference this (Thursday) morning in Sioux City.
“The Department of Justice policy is to pursue the most serious, readily provable charges,” Olson said, “and the charges that are alleged in the indictment all occurred within the Northern District of Iowa.” The teenager’s uncle — 51-year-old Mark Milk of Sioux Falls — faces five charges, including distribution of cocaine resulting in death and transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Milk had been sentenced to life in prison for stabbing a man to death in 1993, but in February of 2023 Kristi Noem, who was South Dakota’s governor at the time, commuted his sentence and Milk was paroled two years ago. The F-B-I and Bureau of Indian Affairs as well as a variety of state and local departments from both sides of the Iowa/South Dakota border have worked on the case. Jon Thum, the Sioux Falls Chief of Police, thanked everyone involved in the investigation.
“I think what we want to highlight is the collective efforts of the justice system,” Thum said. “This case has captured the attention of the region, for obvious reasons. It’s a case of high importance for a lot of people.” Gene Kowel, the F-B-I Agent in Charge of the agency’s Omaha office, calls it a horrific case. “Really proud of the partnerships you see up here today that worked non-stop around the clock, especially from the Sioux Falls Police Department, to look for McKenna and to bring some measure of justice for the family in this case,” Kowel said.
Another South Dakota man, 38-year-old Jon Rogness, is charged with being an accessory after the fact and with conspiracy to conceal objects with the intent to impair their availability for an official proceeding. That last charge has also been levied against Milk.
