Corey James Zephier, 30, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was killed in the early hours of January 5, 2018, during a drug deal that investigators and later court testimony tied to a robbery attempt outside an apartment building. The night began at Scarlett O’Hara’s nightclub and continued through late-night stops; the group picked up Manuel Jesus Frias, smoked methamphetamine, and exchanged messages about a “lick,” a planned score. Frias and others brought guns to the meeting.

Prosecutors said Frias and the group intended to rob Samuel Louis Crockett. Witnesses described Zephier rushing down a stairway with a rifle, yelling for money, and Crockett firing, striking Zephier. When officers arrived both Zephier and Crockett were dead and a rifle lay near Zephier’s body. Frias was later captured after a standoff and charged; a jury convicted him of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter and related offenses. Maria Shantel LeClaire was arrested and later pleaded guilty to being an accessory to distributing a controlled substance; Crystal Habben faced an accessory charge.

Key questions remain about who initiated the violence that night and how the planned drug transaction turned lethal. If anyone knew Corey or his movements that early January morning, please share what you know.