RAPID CITY, S.D. – Two men have now been sentenced for their roles in the 2025 beating death of 24-year-old Michael Ladeaux in Rapid City.
Twenty-five-year-old Joshua Thunder Hawk received a 40-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting first-degree manslaughter. Prosecutors identified Thunder Hawk as the primary aggressor in the assault. Police found Ladeaux severely injured in an apartment hallway, and he later died at a hospital.
During Thunder Hawk’s sentencing, family members remembered Ladeaux as strong, independent, hardworking, and a light in the lives of those who knew him. They urged the court to impose a life sentence. The defense argued Thunder Hawk had no prior felony convictions and cited his longtime struggle with alcohol abuse and intoxication on the night of the attack.
In a related case, Dustin Yatsayte was sentenced to 15 years in prison after also pleading guilty to aiding and abetting first-degree manslaughter. As part of his plea agreement, Yatsayte admitted to kicking Ladeaux during the assault. Court records show he was on parole at the time for previous convictions involving aggravated assault and possession of a controlled substance.
A witness testified that Yatsayte appeared to try to stop the beating at one point, but the court ultimately imposed the maximum sentence allowed under his plea agreement.
The sentencing closes another chapter in the prosecution stemming from the death of Michael Ladeaux.
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