Sturgis teen accused of killing Wyoming girl waives right to speedy trial
Danielle FergusonA teen accused of shooting a Wyoming girl in his Sturgis home earlier this month has waived his right to a speedy trial.
Seventeen-year-old Michael Gavin Campbell, who is being charged as an adult with second-degree murder in the death of Shayna Ritthaler, signed a waiver of speedy trial on Saturday.
The waiver means Campbell signed away his rights to have his case brought to trial in the 180 days from his initial arraignment laid out in South Dakota law. Most, if not all, homicide cases are not brought to trial within those 180 days. The court must approve requests for continuances.
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Campbell pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in Meade County on Oct. 17.
Second-degree murder is a Class B felony, punishable by mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2012 ruled that juveniles cannot be sentenced to mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole. Because Campbell is a juvenile, the maximum sentence he can receive under South Dakota law is a term in prison and a $50,000 fine.
Campbell's attorney, Steven Titus of Gillette, told the Rapid City Journal after Campbell's arraignment last week that he will file a motion to move the case to juvenile court before the next scheduled hearing, which is slated for Dec. 20.
Campbell was charged after the body of who authorities said was 16-year-old Ritthaler was found with a gunshot wound in Campbell's Sturgis area home on Oct. 7. Ritthaler had been listed as a runaway out of Wyoming since Oct. 3. Authorities are still identifying how Ritthaler and Campbell knew each other.
Email reporter Danielle Ferguson at dbferguson@argusleader.com, or follow on Twitter at @DaniFergs.