Pine Ridge man given 3 life sentences

A Pine Ridge man has been given multiple life sentences for a triple murder.

Twenty-six year old Elijah West was convicted of three counts of First Degree Murder and several firearms charges.

He was handed three life sentences plus an additional 30 years in prison.

In January of this year, West entered a home near Wounded Knee where a group of people had gathered around a kitchen table. West briefly spoke with the group before he removed a firearm from his waistband and, completely unprovoked, killed three people.

West was arrested later that day and law enforcement recovered the murder weapon in his possession.

A jury found him guilty on all charges following a five-day September trial in Rapid City.

West was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

December 15, 2023