MILBANK, S.D.–A Milbank man has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his brother, sister-in-law, and her unborn child. Fifty-seven year old Brent Hanson appeared in Grant County Circuit Court in Milbank on Tuesday morning and pled guilty to three counts of first degree murder as part of a plea agreement in which the prosecution agreed to not seek the death penalty. Each count will run consecutively with no chance for parole. Three alternate counts of second degree murder were dismissed.
In an interview with police, Hanson admitted that he “snapped” when he hit his brother, Clyde Hanson, in the head with a baseball bat on December 12, 2021 at a residential property they both owned, but where they had separate living spaces. Authorities say Clyde Hanson’s wife, Jessica Hanson, who was nine months pregnant at the time, returned home the following morning and was struck in the head with a machete. The couple’s bodies were found three days later after police were called to conduct a welfare check.
Thanks to KWAT