Native Sun News Today: Oglala Sioux Tribe fires judges after boy's death

Friday, October 7, 2016

Three judges in Pine Ridge terminated

By Richie Richards
Native Sun News Today Staff Writer
nativesunnews.today

PINE RIDGE –– Justice for a little boy, who in two years of life experienced more tragic events than many experience in a life time, is happening on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

On Monday, Oct. 3, a hearing for the three judges involved in Kylen’s custody case and many other cases on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation was held at the Prairie Wind Casino.

Late Monday evening, Chief Judge [Kimberly] Craven, Judge [Dominique Alan] Fenton and Judge [Arlin] Whirlwind Horse were terminated in the hearing.

Kylen White Whirlwind’s, 2, lifeless body was found badly beaten in his maternal grandmother’s home in Porcupine on July 28 of this year. The next day his birth-mother, Katrina Shangreaux, was arrested for his murder.

Last week, on Monday, Sept. 26, Kylen’s maternal grandmother, Sonya Dubray, was arrested for her part in the covering up of Kylen’s brutal murder. Her charges include, accessory to murder and tampering with evidence.

It is alleged that Kylen’s grandmother cleaned up the crime scene, provided false and misleading information to investigators and destroyed evidence in protecting her daughter, Katrina.

Sonya Dubray plead not guilty in federal court on Wednesday, Sept. 28, and Katrina Shangreaux’s hearing has been moved from an October date to sometime in early December.

Prior to Kylen’s death, his paternal aunt, Angela Shangreaux had been in a yearlong custody battle with Katrina Shangreaux in tribal court. In the months leading up to his death, Kylen had been in the care and custody of his aunt, which had been the second family member to have had custody of Kylen since he was born. Gloria No Neck had taken Kylen home from the hospital when he was born.

After several court hearings in tribal court, Katrina Shangreaux, was awarded custody of Kylen, but not without a fight from Angela. In early June, Angela turned over physical custody of Kylen, and less than two months later he was found dead in the home he was living in with his mother and grandmother.