Man convicted of three Rapid City homicides gets three life-without-parole sentences

Arnson Absolu

RAPID CITY, S.D. — Arnson Absolu, the New York man convicted of killing three people in Rapid City, was sentenced Friday. Absolu received three life sentences without the possibility of parole; one for each of the three homicides. The sentences will be served consecutively. In addition, he was fined $50,000 for each count.

Absolu, of the Bronx, New York City, was charged with the August 2020 killings. Prosecutors maintained Absolu killed Charles Red Willow over a drug-related issue and that the other victims, Ashley Nagy and Dakota Zaiser were killed as a way of removing witnesses.

Victim Impact Statements

Kelsie Richards is Charles Red Willow’s cousin. She said, “This killer doesn’t deserve to be discussed anymore.”

Ashley Nagy’s father Robert said he’s spent the last two-and-a-half years thinking about what to say. He called her “my best friend.” Her niece Echo called the crime gut-wrenching, saying, “We lost a piece of our family. This left a nasty scar.”

Dixie Brown is Dakota Zaiser’s mother. She said she will have no more holidays with her son, or see him get married or have grandchildren. “I will never get the hugs or hear that he loves me,” she said.

Absolu did not react to any of the impact statements.

The Sentence

In asking the judge to have the sentences run consecutively, prosecutor Roxanne Hammond called the murders premeditated and said Absolu had sentenced the victims’ families to a life of pain.

Before handing down the sentences, Judge Robert Gusinsky said that while it will be small comfort to the families, he hopes the memory of what happened to Red Willow, Nagy, and Zaiser will keep some people from ever getting involved with drugs. “If just a few people take note of what drugs do,” he said, “then the memories of Charles, Ashley, and Dakota can be a catalyst for change.”