Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg today announced that a Yankton County jury found Stephen R. Falkenberg, 45, Yankton, guilty of 2nd Degree Murder, a class B felony and guilty of 1st degree Manslaughter, a class C felony stemming from the March 1, 2019 death of 46-year old Tamara LaFramboise of Yankton. La Framboise’s body was discovered in Menominee County, Michigan, on March 16, 2019.
The charges carry punishments of mandatory life imprisonment and up to a $50,000 fine for 2nd Degree Murder and up to life imprisonment and $50,000 fines for 1st Degree Manslaughter. Sentencing is scheduled for March 2, 2020 at 2:00 pm in Yankton.
The South Dakota Attorney General’s Office handled the prosecution and the investigation was conducted by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Yankton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Yankton Police Department, the FBI, and Michigan authorities.