Jackley says Rhines case should wrap up in 3 to 5 years - KOTA Territory News

Jackley says Rhines case should wrap up in 3 to 5 years

Twenty-one years ago this week Donnivan Schaeffer, 22, was murdered at a family owned donut shop in Rapid City, where he worked. His murderer, Charles Russell Rhines, was convicted and sentenced to die by lethal injection.

To this day, Rhines is fighting his death sentence.  Last year, the South Dakota Legislature passed a law that limits the number of appeals a death row inmate can file. South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says while Rhines' current litigation continues, he won't be able to file any further appeals. "My position as attorney general is he is on his second habeas petition," Jackley said. "The South Dakota Legislature has made it very clear in the legislation that you're only allowed one petition unless there is some extraordinary circumstances and those don't exist in his case," He continued.
 
Jackley says he's confident Rhines' case will be wrapped up in 3 to 5 years.