2nd suspect in Mitchell homicide pleads not guilty

MITCHELL, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - A second man charged in a fatal shooting in downtown Mitchell last month has pleaded not guilty to several counts.

Twenty-eight-year-old Luis Perez-Melendez entered his plea in a Davison County Court on Thursday. He is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and manslaughter.

Prosecutors say on the night of Jan. 9, Perez-Melendez and 27-year old Jose Morales Acevedo allegedly went to the residence of 38-year-old Adalberto Ferrer-Machado to steal a handgun. The gun was then used to kill Ferrer-Machado.

Perez-Melendez could face the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder. His next court date is set for March 11.

Morales Acevedo appeared in Davison County Court on Tuesday and also pleaded not guilty to the charges. A third person, a female, has also been charged in connection with the murder.