PIPESTONE - New charges have been filed against Jaime Lee Danneman of Currie following an alleged assault Aug. 12.
Danneman was originally charged with first-degree assault, a felony, for the attack. After the victim, Steven Meyer, 45, died from complications relating to the head injuries he sustained, Danneman has been charged with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter.
According to court documents, the Pipestone County Sheriff’s Office responded to Van Dyke Sanitation in Edgerton following an ambulance call to the location for an altercation. When they arrived, deputies found Meyer lying on the ground, unconscious, with blood coming from his mouth and the back of his head. Deputies tended to the head wound and assisted the ambulance personnel attending to Meyer.
At the scene, deputies spoke with Danneman, who told deputies that Van Dyke Sanitation owed him for 20 hours of work. He went to Jamie VanDyke’s home and later to the shop, where Jamie wrote him a check for the wages. Danneman alleges he exchanged words with Jamie and that he was held against his vehicle by the throat.
After pushing Jamie away, Danneman contended Meyer and Stephen VanDyke came to the shop and Meyer began arguing with him. Danneman claimed Meyer struck him in the face. Danneman said he retaliated by punching Meyer once in the face and Meyer went down.
Jamie, who was also interviewed by deputies, acknowledged Danneman had come to his home requesting money. He added that the pair had come to the shop - where he wrote Danneman a check - and that he’d gotten into an argument with Danneman. Jamie alleges Meyer and Danneman did argue. Meyer pointed at Danneman, who in turn hit Meyer and Meyer fell. Jamie added that he and Danneman had begun to fight, but stopped when they realized Meyer was not getting up.
Stephen told deputies that Meyer and Danneman had argued and Meyer struck Danneman first, then Danneman punched Meyer. In a later interview, Stephen said he did not see if Meyer had touched Danneman or not, but did see Danneman strike Meyer in the head.
Stephen told officers that Danneman lost his balance following the punch and fell backward toward the rear of his own vehicle. Stephen noted that Jamie had placed Danneman into a headlock after the punch to get him under control. He did note that once it was observed that Meyer was seriously injured, Danneman showed remorse and checked on Meyer.
Meyer was transported to Pipestone County Medical Center before being taken to Avera-McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D., due to the extent of his injuries. Meyer had sustained a fractured skull and internal cranial bleeding. An attending physician told deputies he was unsure if Meyer would survive. Meyer had coded already in the emergency room but was resuscitated. Eleven days after the incident, Meyer died from complications relating to the head injury.
A provisional anatomic diagnosis, completed by the Minnehaha County, S.D. coroner/medical examiner Aug. 24, revealed Meyer sustained a right orbital plate skull fracture, a bilateral occipital skull fracture, bilateral cerebral contusions to the frontal poles and subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhages. The cause of death was ruled as cavitary pneumonia due to pulmonary embolus complications from a blunt-force head injury sustained due to a fall after being hit in the face.
Danneman, who had previously made bail for the original assault charge, was picked up on a new warrant issued last Friday for the charges. Danneman appeared before Judge Terry Vajgrt in Pipestone County District Court Monday morning for a new bail amount. Vajgrt set Danneman’s bond at $50,000 with conditions and $250,000 without conditions. By Monday afternoon, Danneman had made bail and was released from the Pipestone County Jail.
If convicted, a second-degree murder charge carries a maximum sentence of 40 years imprisonment. First-degree manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a $30,000 fine or both. A scheduling conference on the case is set for later this month.
