The State of South Dakota has decided not to pursue the death penalty for Alfredo Castellanos-Rosales, an Iowa man charged with first-degree murder and contributing to child abuse in connection with the stabbing death of Jordan Beardshear this past April in Dakota Dunes.
Castellanos-Rosales, who pleaded not guilty, was arrested in Texas after being named a suspect and was later brought back to South Dakota.
Although the death penalty is permitted in South Dakota, prosecutors chose not to pursue it in this case.
The death penalty has been sparingly imposed in the state, and Castellanos-Rosales now faces a potential life sentence in prison if convicted.
His trial is scheduled to commence on May 28, 2024.