     One of the 4 defendants in the shooting death of a man at a Rapid City hotel last April failed to show up for her sentencing on Friday.
32-year-old Tracy Laughlin faces up to 5 years in prison after pleading guilty to accessory charges in the death of Jesus Vance, but is also still awaiting trial on unrelated charges of forgery and drug possession.
The other defendants – Travis Nelson, William Long, and Gilbert Reyna – are accused of working with Vance to kidnap and rob Jake Williams, who killed Vance in defending himself.
Laughlin, who admitted helping the others after the shooting, initially faced a murder charge along Nelson, Long, and Reyna under South Dakota’s felony murder law since Vance died during the commission of a crime..
Prosecutors later dropped those charges since Williams was the one who killed Vance, but the defendants still face charges of aiding and abetting both 2nd-degree kidnapping and aggravated assault.
The attorneys for Nelson, Long, and Reyna have asked that their clients be tried separately, A hearing on motions has been set for Feb 11.
Reyna and Nelson have hearings on Friday on their requests that their $100,000 bonds be reduced.