Man charged with strangling mother, 7-year-old boy
A Sioux Falls man strangled his mother and a 7-year-old boy in a mobile home Sunday, then slit their throats to make sure they were dead, prosecutors said Monday.
Heath Otto, 24, set off an alarm just before 1 p.m. Sunday and was standing outside the home in the 6200 block of North Cliff Avenue when Minnehaha County Sheriff's deputies arrived.
"When the sheriff showed up, he knew right away something was up," Sgt. Jason Gearman said. "There were statements (the suspect) made that he knew something was wrong inside the house."
Inside, investigators found the bodies of Otto's mother, 48-year-old Carol Simon, and a 7-year-old boy, Gearman said.
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“Obviously yesterday was a heartbreaking and busy day for the sheriff’s office and Minnehaha County,” Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead said.
Family members erupted in tears in the courtroom after Minnehaha County State's Attorney Aaron McGowan described how they were killed.
Otto was arrested on two counts of first-degree murder. Bond was set at $5 million cash-only, which was unopposed by Otto’s court-appointed public defender Michelle Thomas. She reserved the right to argue bail for a later date. She also contested McGowan wanting to give additional details in the courtroom.
"I don't know why the facts are necessary if we are waving bond," Thomas said.
Otto faces the death penalty or mandatory life in prison if convicted.
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Otto's South Dakota criminal history features several drug-related arrests, two failure to vacate arrests and several other traffic violations.
Authorities couldn't say whether or not drugs or alcohol were involved or what the motive was.
"In a case like this, motive I think is not our priority right now," Gearman said. "Further down the road, we may be able to develop something like that."
More details about the 7-year-old victim will be released later, Gearman said.
