Murder of Chester Poage
Elijah Page, Briley Piper, and Darrell Hoadley were convicted of the torture and murder of Poage.
He grew up on a farm just outside Norton, but moved with his family to Rapid City, South Dakota in 1994.
Prior to his death, Poage was attending Northwest Kansas Technical School and was a half-year from graduating in communications technology.
[1] On the evening of March 12, 2000, Page, Piper, and Hoadley met with Poage at his family home in Spearfish.
[5][6] Poage was forced into his own vehicle and was driven approximately seven miles to Higgins Gulch, a remote wooded area in the Black Hills.
Page later stated that he and Hoadley ended Poage's life by dropping several large rocks on his head.
Both Page and Hoadley admitted that they both dropped heavy rocks on Poage's head, actions which they believe are what finally killed him.
They returned to his house and stole several items from the family home, including a stereo system and some clothes.
The men then drove to visit Piper's sister in Hannibal, Missouri, hoping they could stay with her for a while.
They traveled to Rapid City, where they used Poage's ATM card to withdraw cash and sold some of his property.
The three men then split up and went their separate ways, with Piper deciding to return to his home state of Alaska.
On April 25, police interviewed Hoadley and he gave a statement detailing his involvement in the murder.
[5][6] Page was executed by lethal injection on July 11, 2007, while Piper remains on death row.
Page pleaded guilty to Poage's death and waived his right to have a jury determine his sentence.
[11] Page was executed by lethal injection at South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls on July 11, 2007.
[14] At the age of 25, Page is also the youngest person executed in South Dakota in the modern era.
[15] His last meal was steak, jalapeño peppers, onion rings, a salad, and ice cream.
[18] Piper pleaded guilty to Poage's death in January 2001, waiving his right to have a jury determine his sentence.
[19] Piper appealed his conviction, and in 2009, the State Supreme Court overturned the death sentence, arguing that a jury should decide his fate.
[21] With the execution of Charles Russell Rhines on November 4, 2019, Piper is now the only person left on death row in South Dakota.
