Robert Execution Witness List Released

by KDLT News
October 25, 2012 3:37 PM


The names of those who witnessed the execution of Eric Robert earlier this month has been filed in Minnehaha County.

Robert was executed at the South Dakota State Penitentiary Oct. 15. He was pronounced dead at 10:24 p.m.

In September of 2011, Robert pleaded guilty to killing Ronald "RJ" Johnson, a corrections officer at the penitentiary, during a failed escape attempt. He was sentenced to death by lethal injection Oct. 26, 2011, by Judge Bradley Zell.

A Certificate of Execution is now on file in Minnehaha County. By state law, the document is required to be filed within 10 days of an execution. All witnesses are required to sign it.

Those listed as witnesses are:
-Darin Young, Department of Corrections
-Paige Bock, Attorney General's office
-John Hult, Argus Leader
-David Kolpack, Associated Press
-Paul Swedlund, Attorney General's office
-Jason Piercy, special agent for South Dakota
-Tom Linneweber, South Dakota State Penitentiary
-Lynette Johnson, Ronald Johnson's widow
-Jesse Johnson, Ronald Johnson's son
-Toni Schafer, Ronald Johnson's daughter
-Derrick Schafer, Ronald Johnson's son-in-law
-Dustin Johnson, Gov. Dennis Daugaard's Chief of Staff
-Minnehaha County Sheriff Michael Milstead
-Minnehaha County State's Attorney Aaron McGowan
-Judge Bradley Zell
-Attorney General Marty Jackley
-Bryan Gortmaker, Division of Criminal Investigation
-Aaron Curry, Minnehaha County Public Defender's office
-Mark Kadi, Robert's attorney
-Gary Ternes, chaplain
-Eric Smith, Minnehaha County jail
-A.W. Ramos, priest