{"id":34121,"date":"2022-07-22T12:37:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-22T17:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/man-given-13-year-sentence-in-2019-death\/"},"modified":"2022-07-22T12:37:01","modified_gmt":"2022-07-22T17:37:01","slug":"man-given-13-year-sentence-in-2019-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/man-given-13-year-sentence-in-2019-death\/","title":{"rendered":"Man given 13-year sentence in 2019 death"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Benjamin Wendall Smoke (Courtesy photo)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

RAPID CITY\u2014In March of 2019, Dale EcofFey. Sr., 55, Pine Ridge, died of in\u00adjuries received from a beat\u00ading by Benjamin Wendell Smoke, 63, Manderson. Smoke was convicted of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and sentenced to eight years. He was also sentenced to five years for failing to register as a sex of\u00adfender, sentences to run con\u00adsecutively. Ecoffey\u2019s family was on hand for the federal sentencing and had a sugges\u00adtion for Judge Karen Schrei\u00ader.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Smoke) gets to sleep and wake up, my father is sleep\u00ading and can\u2019t wake up any\u00admore,\u201d Dale Ecoffey, Jr., said.<\/p>\n

Ecoffey, found by his youngest son, was in the pas\u00adsenger seat of a car outside his own home, March 18, 2019. An FBI agent, from a signed affidavit, reported Ecoffey was found with a swollen, bruised and bloody face and eye, and the back of his head had cuts and blood. A further autopsy found Ecoffey sustained a broken throat and rib bones, dying from asphyxiation.<\/p>\n

According to a factual basis statement, Smoke assaulted Ecoffey in the face and torso with his hands, knocked him to the floor then proceeded to kick him. Smoke then lifted Ecoffey from the floor and slammed his head into the corner of a wall, which lacer\u00adated the back of his head and caused a serious bodily in\u00adjury. Ecoffey then bled from his head and was unable to walk.<\/p>\n

The statement continues that Smoke continued to strike Ecoffey, then picked him up and placed him in his Cadillac Escalade. The as\u00adsistant US Attorney Megan Poppen said Smoke attempt\u00aded to hide evidence by wiping down the steering wheel of a vehicle, destroyed Ecoffey\u2019s phone as his son repeatedly called him, destroyed a blan\u00adket or towel used by Ecoffey along with his headband and jacket. She said Smoke had no regard for Ecoffey\u2019s per\u00adson.<\/p>\n

Poppen said due to the na\u00adture of the case and Smoke\u2019s previous criminal history, being convicted of first-de\u00adgree rape in Pennington County, she requested the 15 year sentence as well.<\/p>\n

Defense attorney Thom\u00adas Diggins requested a five-year sentence for Smoke in a medical facility. He said that Smoke has several medical ailments, including kidney cancer and cirrhosis of the liver. He also had said, that the injuries Smoke inflicted on Ecoffey didn\u2019t result in the man\u2019s death, and there were other potential contrib\u00adutors.<\/p>\n

Three others in this case are also associated, with Nancy Star Comes Out and Cecelia Titus both have cases closed dating back to November 2021, and Angie Standing Soldier, who Diggins said assaulted Smoke with a met\u00adal bar and directed Smoke to move Ecoffey\u2019s body is charged with accessory after the fact, tampering with evi\u00addence and false statement.<\/p>\n

Diggins also said Smoke was intoxicated at the time and did leave Ecoffey in a place where he could be found. Schreier asked why he didn\u2019t take Ecoffey to the emergency room. Schreier also said that many of the crimes Smoke had previous\u00adly been involved with includ\u00aded alcohol and the man is at an age where if he wanted to change, he\u2019d be able to make it happen. She said Smoke can either change or continue to get in trouble and put other lives at risk. Lastly, Schreier said this is one of the most abusive cases she\u2019s seen in a long time.<\/p>\n

(Contact Joe Budd at sales2@ nativesunnews.today)<\/p>\n

The post Man given 13-year sentence in 2019 death<\/a> first appeared on Native Sun News Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Benjamin Wendall Smoke (Courtesy photo) RAPID CITY\u2014In March of 2019, Dale EcofFey. Sr., 55, Pine Ridge, died of in\u00adjuries received from a beat\u00ading by Benjamin Wendell Smoke, 63, Manderson. Smoke was convicted of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and sentenced to eight years. He was also sentenced to five <\/p>\n

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