ICE Barbie Commuted Life Sentence of Man Now Tied to Teen’s Death

Politics admin June 20, 2026 0 Comments

ICE Barbie Commuted Life Sentence of Man Now Tied to Teen’s Death

A South Dakota man whose life sentence for manslaughter was commuted by Kristi Noem has been charged in the death of a 14-year-old girl.

McKenna Wendel was found dead in a creek outside Brookings, South Dakota, an hour’s drive north of Sioux Falls, on March 19, five days after she went missing.

Wendel’s uncle, 51-year-old Mark Milk, now faces federal charges alleging he transported a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and possessed cocaine that led to Wendel’s death, ABC News reports, citing an indictment.

Milk was sentenced to life in prison for a manslaughter conviction after fatally stabbing a man in 1993, when he was 19. In 2023, while serving as South Dakota governor, Noem commuted his life sentence to 240 years following a recommendation from the state Board of Pardons and Paroles, making him eligible for parole.

Wendel was listed as a for his parole hearing in June 2024, according to ABC News.

Noem left the governor’s office last year to serve as Homeland Security secretary in Donald Trump’s Cabinet, leading the administration’s immigration crackdown before the president ousted her earlier this year.

A representative for Noem did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Milk was arrested for drunk driving and eluding police on March 17, two days before Wendel’s body was found.

While prosecutors did not formally link Milk to Wendel’s death until filing the charges on Wednesday, his name hovered over the case from the very beginning, according to the Associated Press.

Speaking at a news conference in late March, South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley emphasized that the decision to commute Milk’s life sentence rested solely with Noem.

“It is fairly often that you see law enforcement oppose commutations,” Jackley said, without offering further comment on her decision. He added that he had not seen the commutation documents himself because they were under seal.

Wendel was reported missing on March 13, and she was last seen alive in her hometown of Sioux Falls early on March 14, according to the AP. She died from a drug overdose on or about March 14, according to the indictment.

Jon Rogness, 38, of Brookings, also faces charges of conspiracy and acting as an accessory to help Milk in an alleged attempt to cover up the crimes.

“This is a horrific case,” FBI special agent Gene Kowel said in a press briefing on Thursday announcing the charges. “There are no cases that we investigate that are more heart-wrenching and more tragic than the ones that involve children or the death of a child.”