Cold Case Investigation Leads to Indictment in 1998 Murder Case 

PIERRE, S.D.- Attorney General Larry Long, Union County States Attorney Jerry Miller and Union County Sheriff Dan Limoges announced today that the "cold case" investigation into the homicide of a Beresford man in June of 1998, has resulted in the arrest of James Robert Strahl, 38, Emerson, Nebraska. Strahl was indicted on June 28, by a Union County Grand Jury for the murder of William Owen O’Hare. Strahl was indicted on four total counts including one count of First Degree Murder, one count of Second Degree Murder, one count of First Degree Manslaughter and one count of Grand Theft.

The grand jury indictment came as a result of a cold case investigation by the Union County Sheriff’s Office and Division of Criminal Investigation’s Cold Case Unit. Paul Bachand, Special Prosecutor for the South Dakota Attorney General's Office will prosecute the case with assistance from the Union County States Attorney’s Office.

The case was adopted by the Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit after the unit was established in June of 2004. For additional information regarding this case call Sara Rabern at 605-773-3215.

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