D.S.D. · ManslaughterFY2018–FY2025
Districts › District of South Dakota
Manslaughter in the District of South Dakota
D.S.D. · Eighth Circuit · Manslaughter nationally
The datafile contains cases reported to the Commission with sentencing documents. Sentence length statistics use the Commission's capped variable (sentences of 470 months or longer, including life, are recorded as 470 months) and exclude sentences of probation or a fine only. Figures are aggregates of past cases and are not a prediction for any case.
§ 1Length of prison terms
Interquartile range 30–120 months; mean 76. 0 cases at the Commission's 470-month cap (life or longer).
§ 2Summary
85 manslaughter offences were sentenced in the District of South Dakota across 8 fiscal years (FY2018–FY2025), 15 of them in FY2025; that is 2% of the district's caseload.
The median prison term was 60 months (5 years), close to the national median for manslaughter offences (63 months) and close to the Eighth Circuit median (61). Half of prison terms fell between 30 and 120 months; — of cases carried a prison term.
47% of these sentences were within the guideline range (nationally for this offence type: 46%); — were below the range on a government motion and 19% below it for other reasons.
FY2025 had more cases than FY2021 (15 against 11). The median prison term in FY2025 (83 months) was longer than in FY2021 (34 months).
These are aggregates of past cases. The guideline range for any case depends on its offence level, criminal history and statutory minimums, and the sentence on the court's findings; no figure here estimates an outcome.
§ 3Position relative to the guideline range
Within guideline range 47%Above range 29%Below range, government sponsored <10Below range, other 19%Not determinable 0
§ 4Compared with the district, the circuit and the nation
| Measure | D.S.D., manslaughter | D.S.D., all offences | 8th Cir., manslaughter | US, manslaughter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases per fiscal year | 11 | 513 | 15 | 75 |
| Share of district caseload | 2.1% | 100% | — | — |
| Median prison months | 60 | 38 | 61 | 63 |
| Mean prison months | 76 | 75 | — | 78 |
| Cases with a prison term | — | 95% | — | 96% |
| Within guideline range | 47% | 56% | 45% | 46% |
| Above range | 29% | 4% | 35% | 29% |
| Below range, government sponsored | — | 8% | — | 12% |
| Below range, other | 19% | 32% | 15% | 14% |
| Median final offence level | 21 | 19 | — | 22 |
§ 5Trend by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other | Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | |||||
| FY2019 | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | |||||
| FY2020 | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | |||||
| FY2021 | 11 | 100% | 34 | — | 0% | — | — |
| FY2022 | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | |||||
| FY2023 | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | |||||
| FY2024 | 21 | 100% | 57 | 48% | — | — | — |
| FY2025 | 15 | — | 83 | — | 0% | — | — |
§ 6Criminal history
Share of cases at each final criminal history category; grey figure: manslaughter offences nationally.
§ 7Guidelines applied
- §2A1.4 Involuntary manslaughter · 48 cases in the district (all offence types)
- §2A1.3 Voluntary manslaughter · 37 cases in the district (all offence types)
- §2X3.1 Accessory after the fact · 19 cases in the district (all offence types)
Primary guidelines the Commission associates with this offence type, with the district's caseload under each across all offence types.
§ 8Questions and answers
What is the typical sentence for manslaughter offences in the District of South Dakota?
The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 60 months (5 years), with the middle half of terms between 30 and 120 months. — of cases carried a prison term. The national median for manslaughter offences is 63 months.
How often are manslaughter offences sentenced below the guideline range here?
— of sentences were below the range on a government motion and 19% below it for other reasons; 47% were within the range. The Commission's categories are explained in the guide to how the guidelines work.
How does this compare with the rest of the country?
Nationally, manslaughter offences had a median prison term of 63 months and a within-range share of 46% over the same period. The district's figures are close to on median term and close to the national within-range share.
Which guidelines are involved?
The most common primary guidelines for these cases are §2A1.4, §2A1.3 and §2X3.1.
Is this a prediction for a particular case?
No. The figures are aggregates of sentences already imposed, as recorded by the US Sentencing Commission. They are not legal advice and do not estimate the outcome of any case.
§ 9Other offence types in the District of South Dakota
- Drug Trafficking 1,134
- Firearms 601
- Obscenity/Other Sex Offenses 370
- Sex Abuse 322
- Assault 317
- Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement 272
- Immigration 253
- Child Pornography 169
- Administration of Justice 162
- Prison Offenses 75
- Robbery 59
- Money Launder 39
§ 10Provenance
Source: United States Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles, fiscal years 2018–2025 (US government works), aggregated by this site; the FY2025 file is dated 29 Apr 2026. Offence type is the Commission's OFFGUIDE code 20; district is CIRCDIST 62. Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.