Noem commutes sentences for two murder suspects • South Dakota Searchlight

Governor Kristi Noem commuted the sentences of two people convicted of murder and has issued 45 more pardons since February.

Since taking office in 2019, Noem has commuted the sentences of 27 people and pardoned 341.

Their first commutation this summer was granted to 70-year-old John Proctor on July 24.

Proctor served 51 years in prison for killing Meade County rancher Arlon Hamm. Proctor had an affair with Hamm's stepmother, Billie Jean Hamm, with whom he planned to murder Arlon Hamm. Billie Jean Hamm, now deceased, was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder.

The South Dakota Board of Pardons and Paroles recommended a commutation of Proctor's sentence last fall. The parole board had also recommended a commutation of sentence for Proctor in 2021.

Noem denied Proctor's 2021 clemency request in a letter dated March 15, 2022.

Noem commutes the sentence of a man who stabbed three people and killed one 43 years ago

The recently approved commutation reduces Proctor's life sentence to 410 years in prison. With credit for time already served and his good behavior, Proctor will be eligible for parole next July.

Noem's most recent commutation was handed down to 45-year-old Renee Eckes on August 21, less than two months after she appeared before the South Dakota Board of Pardons and Parole. Her commutation was previously reported on by The Dakota Scout.

Eckes was serving a life sentence; her sentence was reduced to 45 years. She will be eligible for parole in September 2027, according to the sentence commutation.

The committee unanimously recommended that Noem pardon Eckes' sentence after its July meeting. The committee reviews clemency requests, but Noem has the final say on recommendations.

Noem has also granted commutations to people who did not follow the formal process of applying to the board. Most recently, in December, Noem commuted the sentences of 12 women convicted of drug abuse, a charge unique to South Dakota that can send a person to prison for having illegal substances in their system. None of the women took their cases to the parole board.

Eckes was 19 years old when she and 17-year-old Jessi Owens killed David Bauman with a hammer during a burglary attempt. The couple entered Bauman's Watertown home looking for cash, but when he returned home, he caught them in the act, arranging the physical altercation that ended his life. Owens grabbed a hammer and struck Bauman, whereupon Eckes picked it up and continued to beat him.

Owens' life sentence was reduced after a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling found that life sentences for juveniles were unconstitutional. She was released in 2018.

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As for the pardons, Noem issued 45 pardons between July 2 and August 21, signing them in batches on July 2, July 24, July 26, and August 21.

Pardons permanently erase old charges from a person's criminal record. Because the state constitution gives the governor sole power to grant pardons, pardons are the only way for South Dakotans to clear their criminal records of old charges for which they were convicted or pleaded guilty. Pardons are sealed after five years.

The summer pardons cover a range of offenses, including drunken driving, possession of controlled substances and burglary, as well as a 39-year-old conviction for aggravated assault.

Before July, Noem's last pardons were signed on February 23.

That same day, Noem signed four letters opposing the commutation. including one for Rex Gardconvicted of grand theft by embezzlement and sentenced to 65 years in prison. Two members of the parole board, which recommended commutation by an 8-1 vote, called the sentence “excessive” at his parole hearing in summer 2023.

As of April, Noem had signed a total of nine letters of recusal, according to documents released at the request of South Dakota Searchlight.

Noem's office did not immediately respond to a request for new denial letters issued since April. Spokesman Ian Fury also did not respond to questions about Noem's about-face in the Proctor case or her speed in implementing the Eckes recommendation for commutation.

Here are the last 45 pardons issued by Noem.

Pardons Summer 2024