Body Found in Sturgis Area Basement, Possibly Missing Wyoming Teen

STURGIS, SD. – On Monday October 7, 2019 the Meade County Sheriff’s Office along with agents from the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation served a search warrant at residence located in Blucksberg near Sturgis South Dakota.

The search was done based on information received from the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office who had been working with the Deadwood Police Department and the Moorcroft Police Department in Wyoming.

The body of a young female was discovered in a basement bedroom and is believed to be that of missing 16-year-old Wyoming teen, Shayna Ritthaler.

Verification of the identity of the deceased is pending autopsy results scheduled for later in the week.

A juvenile suspect has been taken into custody and is being housed at the Juvenile Services Center in Rapid City. Criminal charges are pending. Due to ages of the parties involved, names are not being released at this time.

Shayna Ritthaler was missing since last Thursday, October 3rd. She was last seen getting into an unknown vehicle at the Coffee Cup in Moorcroft at around 12:36 PM on that date.

Information later placed her whereabouts in the Lead/Deadwood, Sturgis area.