Sioux Falls murder suspect pleads guilty to manslaughter

SIOUX FALLS (AP) — A Sudanese immigrant was beaten to death after a night of drinking in Sioux Falls because he refused to remove his sweater, according to one of the two men charged in his killing.

Jerome Ewing, 23, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter Tuesday in the June 2011 death of Geu Ayuel, 20, the media reported. Dwight Ree, 19, pleaded guilty to the same reduced charge last month. Ree, who was 17 at the time of the killing, was charged as an adult.

Ewing told Judge Kathleen Caldwell that the three men had been at a party but left to buy cigarettes. Ree ordered Ayuel to remove his sweater, Ewing said, adding that he then told Ayuel — who went by the nickname Go Go — to flee.

"I told Go Go, 'You know dude gonna try and fight you, why don't you just run up outta here,'" Ewing said. "He didn't want to leave. He didn't want to look like he got punked or whatever."

Ewing said Ree attacked Ayuel and Ewing jumped into the fray. The two knocked Ayuel out in an alley then began to walk away, but Ree encouraged Ewing to return, according to Ewing.

"He went back over and started beating him and stomping him some more," Ewing said.

The two then repeatedly threw chunks of asphalt at Ayeul's head before running away.

Ree is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 20 and Ewing on Dec. 21. Manslaughter carries a maximum punishment of life in prison, but their plea deals call for Ewing's prison time to be capped at 40 years and Ree's at 25 years.

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