United States Attorney Leif Olson announced Thursday two men have been indicted on criminal charges related to the missing-person case of McKenna Wendel, who was found dead on March 19, 2026, in Brookings.
51 year old Mark Milk of Sioux Falls and 38 year old Jon Rogness of Brookings were charged in an indictment filed on June 17th, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.
Milk faces five counts:
Possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death,
Possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance,
Transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity,
Conspiracy to conceal objects with the intent to impair their availability for an official proceeding, and
Concealing objects with the intent to impair their availability for official proceedings.
Rogness faces two counts:
Conspiracy to conceal objects with the intent to impair their availability for an official proceeding, and
Accessory after the fact.
Milk and Rogness will have an initial appearance before a judge at the Sioux City federal courthouse at a date yet to be determined. As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation, and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.