On November 13, 2023, 32-year-old Mercades Dahlvang of Philip, South Dakota, was found wounded in the front yard of a Rapid Valley residence alongside 33-year-old Steven Custer of Rapid City after shots were reported. Both were taken to a local hospital. Dahlvang died of her injuries at the hospital; Custer was initially treated for a self-inflicted gunshot wound and later also died.

The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office identified Custer as the suspect in Dahlvang’s death and investigators described the incident as a murder-suicide. No other suspects were sought.

If anyone knew Mercades, witnessed the events that night, or has information that could clarify what happened in Rapid Valley on November 13, 2023, please come forward.