Local News

Testimony begins in Miranda stabbing death trial

By Journal staff | Tuesday, September 23, 2008

The murder trial of a Rapid City woman accused last fall of stabbing her boyfriend to death began Monday, Sept. 22, in 7th Circuit Court.

Chari Miranda, 21, faces alternate counts of murder and manslaughter in connection with the stabbing death of 24-year-old Richard Standing Bear.

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Police were called to a house in the 2500 block of Elm Avenue on Sept. 20, 2007, and found Standing Bear dead.

Investigators say Miranda and a weapon were found in another room of the house.

Miranda is charged with three alternate counts, meaning she could only be convicted of one of them.

The charges are second-degree murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence; first-degree manslaughter for killing someone by means of a dangerous weapon, which carries the possibility of a life prison sentence; and second-degree manslaughter, which carries a maximum of 10 years in prison upon conviction.

However, Miranda could be found to be a habitual offender because of a prior drug conviction. If so, she could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of second-degree manslaughter.

Prosecutors dismissed an additional charge of first-degree manslaughter.

Jury selection began Monday in the case, which is being tried before 7th Circuit Judge A.P. “Pete” Fuller. The trial is expected to last all week.

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Chari Miranda, 20, walks from Pennington County Jail to Pennington County Courthouse in February. Testimony began Monday in Rapid City on charges that Miranda murdered Richard Standing Bear.(Journal file photo by Ryan Soderlin)