Safety & Justice
May 12, 2026

Rapid City man arrested in death of missing infant

Police say a 33-year-old man was arrested on murder and body disposal charges after officers found the remains of his infant son


May 12, 2026

A 33-year-old Rapid City, South Dakota, man has been arrested in connection with the death of his infant son after police located the child’s remains in Rapid City, according to a news release from the Rapid City Police Department.

Police said officers responded to Tyler Slow Bear’s residence around 9:05 a.m. May 7 for a welfare check after someone raised concerns about the safety of the infant, Melinko Bagola. According to police, the child had last been seen April 19. Officers were unable to locate the infant at the residence, and police said Slow Bear initially told investigators the child was with a family member elsewhere in the state. Authorities later determined the family member never had the child.

According to police, investigators later determined Slow Bear assaulted the infant while the child was in his care and that the infant died sometime after the assault. Police said Slow Bear then concealed the child’s remains at an undeveloped outdoor location in Rapid City, where officers later recovered the body. Slow Bear was arrested on charges of second-degree murder and improper disposal of a body and booked into the Pennington County Jail. An autopsy has been scheduled.

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