Royce Yellow Hawk was a 26-year-old Native American man who died on November 12, 1998, in Rapid City, South Dakota. His death was one of eleven unexplained fatalities in Rapid City between 1998 and 2000, a cluster that disproportionately affected Native American and homeless men. At least four of the deceased were found in or near Rapid Creek, a detail that heightened alarm in the local community.

Local law enforcement — the Rapid City Police Department and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office — reviewed the cases and the FBI also examined the investigations. Authorities reported they found no evidence these deaths were the result of criminal actions and did not classify them as unsolved murders. Still, the Pennington County Sheriff at the time, Don Holloway, said he did not believe all the deaths were accidental because of how often they happened and then stopped.

Rumors circulated in the Native American community that young white men had been harassing homeless people along the creek, and families remain unsettled by the lack of answers. No arrests or official suspects have been announced in Royce Yellow Hawk’s death. If anyone knew Royce, saw unusual activity near Rapid Creek in 1998, or has information about these deaths, please come forward.