Former Mayor Jay Ostrem arrested for triple murder

The former mayor of a South Dakota town was arrested Monday for allegedly shooting three people in the community he once represented, including a man who was still talking to a 911 dispatcher at the time of his death.

Jay Ostrem, 64, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and is being held on $1 million bail in Sioux Falls, about 45 minutes northeast of the town in rural Turner County where police say the shooting occurred.

The South Dakota Attorney General’s Office said in a statement that shots were fired at a home in Centerville, a town of fewer than 1,000 residents, around 10 p.m. Monday. Authorities did not give a motive for the crime, but local news outlets, including Searchlight of South Dakotareported that Ostrem justified the shooting in a probable cause affidavit by saying it was retaliation for a sexual assault on his wife.

That document said Zach Frankus called 911 to report that his brother had been shot by “a guy across the street” and that the shooter had returned home. According to police, Frankus was still on the phone with a dispatcher when a shot rang out and Frankus screamed that he had been shot. After that, police said, Frankus went quiet.

“After spending some time on the phone with the dispatcher, the male caller reported that he had been shot,” the affidavit states. Sioux Falls Live“Shortly after reporting that he had been shot, the man lost communication with the dispatch center.”

The station reported that the first officer to arrive at the scene was a game warden with the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. That officer said he saw Ostrem leave the scene. A second officer arrived shortly afterward, having traveled 12 miles from nearby Beresford, and helped arrest Ostrem after he initially refused commands. Those officers reported that Ostrem’s breath smelled of alcohol and that he had blood on his left hand, the station reported. Sioux Falls Live.

Police reportedly added that Ostrem was in possession of three weapons at the scene, including a pistol, a shotgun and an “AR rifle.” Bullet casings were also found on the ground.

The affidavit identifies the victims as Paul Frankus, 26, Zach Frankus, 21, and Timothy Richmond, 35. It is unclear what relationship Richmond had to the Frankus brothers, if any, but reports indicate all died in the same home on Centerville’s Main Street.

The Argus Leader reported that Ostrem’s wife told police that Paul Frankus was drinking with her on Thursday when he allegedly exposed his genitals and tried to kiss her.

It was this alleged attack that apparently enraged Ostrem, who Leader reported. Citing his wife, the affidavit claims he was seen “running out of the house in anger” just moments after learning of the alleged incident on Monday, and the three men were shot shortly afterward.

Photos from the scene showed that Ostrem’s front yard contained a grill, a lawn chair, and an American and British flag. A profile on X in Ostrem’s name showed that he regularly shared conservative memes and pro-gun posts and was an avid supporter of Donald Trump.

“Bachelor’s degree in political science, veteran, retired police officer, happily married to my British daughter,” his bio reads. “#MAGA #NRA #BREXIT A real person.”

Ostrem reportedly served in law enforcement in Wyoming and South Dakota for more than two decades and served as mayor of Centerville about 15 years ago.

In this role Searchlight reported that he was sued in federal court for sexual harassment by the city’s former police chief, who claimed she was subjected to unwanted sexual comments for over a year before being fired from the job. That suit was settled in 2012.

In case of conviction for murder Sioux Falls Live reported that Ostrem could be sentenced to death under state law.