Deadly encounter— Man charged with second-degree murder in Newcastle shooting

A South Dakota man faces a second-degree murder charge after authorities say he shot and killed Jason Greene inside a Newcastle home early Sunday morning.

Drake Alexander Ingalls, 25, of Belle Fourche, South Dakota, is accused of purposely and maliciously, but without premeditation, killing the man with a single gunshot to the chest Aug. 9, according to a felony information document filed Aug. 11 in Weston County Circuit Court.

Second-degree murder is punishable by 20 years to life in prison. A fine of up to $10,000 may also be imposed.

Ingalls was arrested at about 2 p.m. Aug. 9. His bond was set at $250,000 cash only, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 19 in Weston County Circuit Court.

The charge is an allegation, and Ingalls is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

According to a redacted affidavit of probable cause filed in the case, Newcastle police officers J. Esposito and N. Foote responded at about 4:54 a.m. Aug. 9 to a report of shots fired and a person who had been shot.

Esposito reportedly found Ingalls and Danyela Crystal Holguin standing in the roadway outside the home. The affidavit says that she appeared frantic and was screaming incoherently. Both she and Ingalls, the affidavit alleges, showed signs of alcohol consumption.

Ingalls immediately told Esposito that he had shot someone in the chest inside the home, according to the affidavit. Officers report that he said the firearm was in his vehicle, and officers detained him in a patrol vehicle.

Inside the home, Esposito found Greene lying on the floor between the hallway and living room with a large pool of blood beneath his chest, the affidavit says. Officers and emergency medical personnel confirmed that the man was dead.

Police recovered a 9 mm Glock Model 17 pistol from the center console cupholder of Ingalls’ red Toyota Camry, according to court documents.

Newcastle Police Chief Derek Thompson contacted the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and asked the agency to take over the case. DCI Special Agent Zack Miller was assigned to the investigation.

During an interview with investigators, Holguin said she had met Ingalls through the dating app Tinder and had been communicating with him for several weeks. Ingalls drove from Belle Fourche to Newcastle on Aug. 8 so the two could meet in person, according to the affidavit.

The two allegedly drove around Newcastle and drank alcohol before going to a local bar. While at the bar, the woman received an insulting text message from the man who was later killed, whom she described as a former casual partner, the affidavit says.

Holguin later asked Ingalls to take her to the man’s home so she could speak with him. She reportedly told Ingalls the man had abused her in the past and instructed Ingalls to come help her if he heard her yell.

According to the affidavit, Holguin entered the home through an unlocked side door and confronted Greene. A heated verbal argument followed.

Holguin told investigators that she was outside or near the side door when Ingalls arrived. She said she did not physically see the shooting and maintained that the man had not assaulted her and that the two were not engaged in a physical altercation.

Holguin is alleged to have told investigators that Ingalls “did not need to shoot that gun at all.”

“Holguin then called 911 and waited for police to get there. Holguin never went back into the residence,” the affidavit says. 

During a separate interview, Ingalls told investigators he had been waiting in his car across the street when he heard shouting from the home followed by the woman yelling for help several times.

Ingalls is alleged to have retrieved the Glock from his vehicle, chambered a hollow-point round and approached the side entrance of the home.

According to Ingalls’ account in the affidavit, he came around a shed and saw Greene struggling with the woman near the doorway. Ingalls claimed Greene was behind her with his arms under her armpits and one hand on the back of her head or hair, apparently trying to pull her into the home.

The affidavit says that Ingalls tried to pull the door open, pointed the gun at Greene and demanded that he release the woman. He claimed Greene looked at him and attempted to pull the woman into the home before shutting the door.

The affidavit further says that Ingalls said he fired the handgun while the woman was in front of him, striking the man in the middle of the chest from about 10 to 12 feet away and fired one round.

The affidavit says Ingalls and Holguin then entered his car and drove around the block before returning while she called 911.

Investigators found a silver 9 mm shell casing on the ground outside the home about 3 to 4 feet from the side entrance, according to court documents. Inside, investigators found Greene with what appeared to be a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Holguin acknowledged drinking several alcoholic beverages and told investigators she was highly intoxicated and may have blacked out during portions of the night. The agent who interviewed her noted an abrasion on her knee but no other visible injuries, bruising or evidence that hair had been pulled from her head, according to the affidavit.

As a condition of any release, Ingalls must post the $250,000 cash bond and be fitted with a GPS monitor. He is prohibited from consuming alcohol, possessing firearms or other dangerous weapons, contacting the woman involved in the incident or leaving designated counties in Wyoming and South Dakota without court permission.

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