Pam White Butterfly has been sentenced to life in the South Dakota State Penitentiary for the first‑degree murder of 68‑year‑old Lenart Brown Eyes, who was fatally shot on February 23, 2025. She received an additional 25‑year sentence for attempted first‑degree murder in the shooting of Lenart’s brother, 66‑year‑old Gerard Brown Eyes, who survived but suffered serious injuries.
During sentencing, Gerard Brown Eyes addressed the court, describing the profound toll the violence has taken on their family. He told the judge that White Butterfly’s actions were not reflective of the “Lakota Way.”
State’s Attorney Lara Roetzel underscored the severity of the crimes, calling the shootings a deliberate act that “permanently altered a family and an entire community.”
A Pennington County jury convicted White Butterfly in December of first‑degree murder and attempted first‑degree murder. Evidence at trial showed she shot Lenart Brown Eyes twice — including a fatal wound that severed a major artery — inside his East New York Street home in north Rapid City. Gerard Brown Eyes was also shot twice, including once in the head. Despite their injuries, Lenart managed to call 911, identify White Butterfly as the shooter, and tell dispatchers, “we’re dying.”
The case was prosecuted by State’s Attorney Lara Roetzel, Senior Deputy State’s Attorney Olivia Siglin, and Legal Extern Thomas Potts.
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