Family pushes for end to federal time limit on second-degree murder cases
Proposed ‘Kamisha’s Law’ would remove statute of limitations
It took 30 years for a conviction in the 1992 killing of 23-month-old Kamisha Nyvold, a Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota child whose death occurred on the Lake Traverse Reservation in South Dakota, according to ICT. Her family later learned that federal law imposes a five-year statute of limitations on second-degree murder and manslaughter cases on federal lands, including tribal lands.
Nyvold’s parents, Christine and Roger Irwin, are advocating for “Kamisha’s Law,” a congressional bill that would eliminate the statute of limitations for second-degree murder cases, according to ICT. Retired FBI agent Daniel Orr, who investigated the case, said prosecutors were forced to pursue a first-degree murder charge because too much time had passed for second-degree murder charges. Jay Adams Jr. later waived the statute of limitations and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in exchange for a 10-year federal prison sentence, according to ICT. South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds introduced the legislation in 2025, and Rep. Dusty Johnson reintroduced a matching House bill in February 2026.
- 1.Amelia Schafer. ICT, .
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