Former mayor of South Dakota town charged with triple killing

A former small-town mayor charged with murder after a triple killing last week reportedly became upset before the deadly shooting because his wife told him that she had been assaulted by a neighbor.

The details on the alleged apparent motive in the case came amid the most recent update on the shooting deaths that occurred the night of 27 May in the small town of Centerville, South Dakota, about 40 minutes outside of Sioux Falls, NBC News reported, citing court documents.

Jay Ostrem, 64, was later arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder, according to a press release from South Dakota’s attorney general, Marty Jackley. Ostrem remained in custody on Tuesday in lieu of $1m bail at the Minnehaha county jail.

Local police say that Ostrem’s wife told Ostrem one of their neighbors, Paul Frankus, had forcibly kissed her and exposed himself on 23 May, days before the triple killing.

After hearing about what Frankus had allegedly done, Ostrem reportedly became upset and “[raged] out of the house”, according to police, the Argus Leader reported.

Zach Frankus later called police to report that “a guy from across the street” had shot and killed his brother, NBC reported. Frankus added that he had also been shot – but then stopped speaking with the dispatcher.

Police arrived at the scene of the shooting and found three men dead with gunshot wounds. The slain were identified as 26-year-old Paul Frankus, 21-year-old Zach Frankus, and 35-year-old Timothy Richmond, the Leader reported, citing court documents.

Police arrested Ostrem as he was leaving the scene of the shooting. Ostrem was reportedly holding multiple guns and smelled of alcohol, the Leader reported.

Ostrem was the former mayor of Centerville in 2009 before resigning in 2011, NBC News reported, though it is unclear what led to his departure.

He previously was sued in federal court for sexual harassment by Rachel Kopman, the former police chief of Centerville, the South Dakota Searchlight reported. Ostrem reportedly “made gender-based comments … which were unwelcome and degrading”, according to lawsuit, NBC reported.

Ostrem also worked as a police officer for over two years in Wyoming and South Dakota.

Ostrem was involved in at least two shootings, Keloland News reported.

The deadly triple shooting attributed to Ostrem has shaken the small town, which has fewer than 1,000 residents.

Resident Mark Weets told the Leader that shootings were not common for Centerville. “Never in a million years would have ever guessed anything like this would happen,” he said.