SIOUX CITY, Iowa — A 51-year-old Sioux Falls man is facing multiple federal charges, including distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death, in connection with the death of a 14-year-old girl.
Mark Milk is one of two men charged in the death of McKenna Wendel of Sioux Falls, who was found dead March 19 in rural Brookings County. Authorities have said Wendel did not die in Brookings County.
An online obituary described Wendel as someone who “loved animals. She spent a great deal of time trying to convince her grandma that they should adopt lizards, frogs, and any other little creature that caught her eye. They finally settled on two hermit crabs and a sheepadoodle named Iris. When her hermit crabs passed away, she held a funeral for them and had her Papa make a cross for their burial.”
Milk, who is Wendel’s uncle, is charged with five federal counts, including possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, conspiracy to conceal objects with intent to impair their availability for an official proceeding, and concealing objects with intent to impair their availability for official proceedings.
A second man, 38-year-old Jon Rogness of Brookings, is charged with conspiracy to conceal objects with intent to impair their availability for an official proceeding and accessory after the fact.
Milk was previously sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 1994 killing of Shawn Peneaux in Winner, South Dakota. Court records state Peneaux was stabbed multiple times, severely beaten, and bled to death following a fight.
His sentence was commuted in 2022 by Gov. Kristi Noem following a unanimous recommendation from the state board. In her order, Noem wrote, “The application of Mark Milk for Commutation of Sentence having been presented to me, together with facts pertaining to his case, and it appearing there from that the ends of justice would best be served by granting the Commutation of Sentence requested.”
