RAPID CITY, S.D. – In a courtroom filled with emotion, forgiveness, and closure nearly a decade in the making, Seventh Circuit Court Judge Heidi Linngren today granted a sentence modification in the high-profile 2015 murder case of Jessica Rehfeld. With the blessing of Jessica’s family and the support of Pennington County State’s Attorney Lara Roetzel, Judge Linngren reduced David Schneider’s 75-year sentence by half, making him eligible for parole in approximately eight years. Schneider, one of five men charged in connection with Jessica’s murder, has been incarcerated since his arrest in 2016.
Schneider’s attorney, Gregory Erlandson, told the Court that while Schneider’s involvement in Jessica’s death was inexcusable, his remorse was “genuine and profound.” Both Erlandson and Schneider’s mother in no way excused Schneider’s actions, but described the fear that clouded his judgement, explaining that Schneider had been told he would be killed if he interfered or spoke out. Schneider addressed Jessica’s family, apologizing “from the bottom of my soul.”
The sentence modification follows the recent sentencing of the final defendant in the case, bringing closure to nearly ten years of investigation, legal proceedings, and heartbreak. In her statement to the Court, State’s Attorney Roetzel noted that from the beginning, Schneider had been “willing, able, and ready” to cooperate with the State in its pursuit of justice.
One of the most moving moments of the hearing came from Jessica’s father, Michael Rehfeld, who addressed Schneider through tears. He acknowledged that Schneider’s cooperation spared the family the trauma of enduring three additional trials. Then, in an extraordinary act of grace, he told Schneider he forgave him, and urged him to put good into the world, for the good that was taken away.
Judge Linngren commended the Rehfeld family’s strength, patience, and grace, and acknowledged Schneider’s service in the Air Force and exemplary behavior while incarcerated. She told him, “Out of the darkness did come some light for you.” Still, she emphasized the serious nature of his role in the crime and the delay in coming forward, noting those as aggravating factors.
“What I and others witnessed in the courtroom today was rare – a sentence modification in a murder case, a father forgiving the man who helped take his daughter’s life, and two families embracing at the end of a harrowing chapter,” said State’s Attorney Lara Roetzel. “While Schneider was rightly held accountable, the State is grateful for the role he played in the successful prosecution of the men who orchestrated and carried out this horrific act. Based on his cooperation and behavior over the past eight years, we are confident he can live a life of meaning and service after his release.”
Case Background:
On May 18, 2015, Jessica Rehfeld was murdered after her ex-boyfriend, Jonathan Klinetobe, hired Richard Hirth and David Schneider to kill her in exchange for $80,000. Hirth stabbed Jessica five times inside Schneider’s vehicle, at one point instructing Schneider to hold her down to stop her from escaping. Afterward, Klinetobe hired Michael Frye and Garland Brown to rebury her in a deeper grave.
In May 2016, a witness came forward to police in Newcastle, Wyoming, providing information that led authorities to a burial site near Rockerville, South Dakota, where Jessica’s body was discovered.
Sentences in the Case:
- Jonathan Klinetobe – Life in prison without the possibility of parole
- Richard Hirth – Life in prison without the possibility of parole
- David Schneider – Originally sentenced to 75 years; sentence modified today to 35 years, parole eligible in less than a decade
- Michael Frye & Garland Brown – Each sentenced to five years for accessory after the fact
