SIOUX FALLS, SD — A Sioux Falls man is facing a first-degree murder charge after police say he stabbed a victim to death Friday morning and fled the area. Investigators say 46-year-old Yien Dak Duop Chiek was later arrested in Iowa after a short pursuit and is now being held without bond while extradition is arranged.
Police identified the victim Monday as 43-year-old Nysam Chagi of Sioux Falls. Authorities said the killing happened near 41st Street and Empire Place and that the case is being treated as domestic, not random.
How The Case Unfolded
Police said a 911 caller reported the stabbing shortly after 10 a.m. Friday, July 31, and described blood and broken glass at the scene. When officers and emergency crews arrived within minutes, they found the victim dead.
According to Sgt. Cole German, the caller had earlier seen a man believed to be familiar with the victim near the location. By the time police reached the scene, the suspect was gone.
Track Down To Iowa
Investigators said they used a mix of technology and surveillance to follow the suspect south on Interstate 29. Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum said that included Flock cameras, live video feeds and security footage from nearby businesses.
Law enforcement agencies in surrounding areas were alerted, and the Iowa State Patrol later spotted Chiek. Troopers pursued him to the Onawa exit, about 30 miles south of Sioux City, where he was taken into custody.
Domestic Links And Response
Police said Chagi had an active protection order against Chiek, and investigators believe recent child abuse charges in Minnehaha County may have been a factor in the homicide. Chiek was first held in Iowa on suspicion of driving under the influence before Sioux Falls authorities secured the murder warrant.
Thum called the case a tragedy that reaches beyond the two people involved, while also crediting the cooperation that led to the arrest in less than two hours. Police also warned against online rumors that the killing was random, saying official information shows it was domestic.
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