Residents in neighborhood react to central Sioux Falls homicide

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) -Last Friday, officers were called to a home near west 21st and South Duluth for a death investigation.

When they got there, police found the body of 36-year-old Paul Billion inside the home.

Detectives believe Billion may have died Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

The Minnehaha County coroner says the manner of death is homicide by gunshot.

Those in the neighborhood say it is unsettling.

“It’s kind of a shock to the whole neighborhood, everybody. I feel the whole central area of Sioux Falls has become more of a shock to everybody,” said Barbara Gerdes, Sioux Falls resident.

Mark Fenderson has lived in the neighborhood for four years and says these various events have motivated him to purchase at-home security cameras.

But he says he never expected to catch something this important.

“We got the cameras, and we did not think it would pick up anything and Friday when we come home there was police officers quarantined by Duluth and the street right behind me,” said Mark Fenderson, Sioux Falls resident.

He says these same cameras recently caught footage of people breaking into the victims’ home and antique shop next door.

For this reason, he says the police decided to take the video to investigate.

“It shows them breaking and entering, taking stuff out and they just stopped it right there and asked if they could take the modem,” said Fenderson.

Others in the neighborhood say they are getting too used to hearing gunshots.

“We’ve been here about six years, when we first moved in it was a pretty calm area, but since then, I’d say over the last three years, there’s been some shootings this way,” said Gerdes.

The authorities are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the police.

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