Tribal Police: Slain Indians Bludgeoned in South Dakota

Lincoln - The two men whose slayings sparked recent protest marches from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, S.D. to Whiteclay, Neb., were bludgeoned to death, a tribal police chief said.

And despite the anger aimed at the Nebraska town, it appears that the killings took place in South Dakota.

Stan Star Comes Out, the tribal police chief, said he and the FBI continue to pursue the case. He said there have been delays in the past couple of weeks caused by the marches and President Clinton's visit Wednesday.

FBI Agent Mark Vukelich from Rapid City, S.D., confirmed that the investigation is continuing.

"We're following all leads on this matter that come in, and there are leads," Vukelich said. "Should the investigation turn toward Nebraska, everything we have would be turned over to them. Right now, we're not actively working with the Nebraska authorities."

The bodies of Wally Black Elk Jr., 40, and Ronald Hard Heart, 39, were found June 8 in a deep, grassy ditch about a quarter of a mile north of Whiteclay on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

The deaths fueled resentment toward the Nebraska border town, which serves as an alcohol depot for the reservation. The reservation forbids both alcohol consumption and possession. The men were last spotted walking north of Whiteclay on June 6.

Tom Poor Bear, who is a half-brother to one of the men and a cousin to the other, said he continues to believe that the men were killed in Nebraska and moved onto the reservation "so they (Nebraska) wouldn't be left holding the bag."

Poor Bear, the main organizer of the marches, has set up a tepee called "Camp Justice" near the spot where the two men's bodies were found. He said he would stay there until Whiteclay's four beer stores are shut down.

He also said he continues to be frustrated with the pace of the investigation and lack of information provided to the family. Poor Bear said he's still trying to get the autopsy reports released.