Ashley Althea Valentine-Merrival, a 21-year-old Native American woman from Pine Ridge, South Dakota, was killed on November 9, 2023, near Oglala. Her body was found under circumstances that initially left the community searching for answers after a sudden and violent loss.

A man from Wounded Knee was arrested in connection with the killing and entered a not guilty plea on November 20, 2023. In April 2024, the defendant, identified in court as 33-year-old Jerel Running Bear, changed his plea and admitted guilt to second-degree murder. He told the court he shot Valentine-Merrival with a stolen rifle while she sat in the back seat of a car and that he had been under the influence of methamphetamine at the time.

Who in Pine Ridge or Oglala might have information about Ashley’s last movements or the events of November 9, 2023?