A 34-year-old South Dakota man, Bowen Fladland, is accused of killing his 70-year-old mother, Marlene. After his mother’s death, Fladland allegedly beheaded her.
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According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE, the incident occurred on Tuesday, July 8. Police responded to a North Cloud Street residence in Clark, South Dakota, and found, to their shock, Marlene’s body in the home’s front yard.
It was revealed that, before her death, Marlene had told a family member that her son, Bowen Fladland, had allegedly assaulted her on Saturday, July 5.
Fladland was taken into custody. During a post-Miranda interview, he allegedly admitted to assaulting his mother, as per the affidavit. Furthermore, the document alleges that Fladland knelt on his mother’s neck until she died.
Then, with the help of a tool, Fladland allegedly beheaded his mother.
This was confirmed by Attorney General Marty Jackley, who told KELO, “We are in the process of gathering evidence, items of evidentiary value. There’ll be an autopsy. This was a beheading case.”
As a result, Fladland was charged with first-degree murder and second-degree murder. He is currently being held at Codington County Jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond.
Past Violence
KELO also reported on a past assault involving Bowen Fladland and his mother. Back in 2023, court documents revealed that he grabbed his mother by the throat and pushed her onto a bed. He would repeat the same action the next day, pushing her against their fridge.
When Marlene escaped her second assault, documents reveal that Fladland grabbed two butter knives. He said he was going to kill her.
As a result, Bowen Fladland was convicted of aggravated assault and received a 10-year suspended sentence.
Attorney General Jackley said that Fladland’s criminal history showed an escalating violence trend.
“It is fairly common for us to see in criminal activity when somebody begins a pathway of violence, how it escalates,” Jackley said. “Which is why I feel it’s so important that these issues are addressed early on in a criminal history, that we need to make sure we do everything to keep the public safe.”
Many Clark residents, following Marlene’s death, were devastated by the news.
“I was just devastated,” Sandy Herrick, one Clark resident, told KELO. “I mean, just to hear about something like that, it gave me the creeps.”
Herrick, who was Marlene’s neighbor, added that she was a “sweet person” and that she would always treasure the memories she had with her.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org or by texting “START” to 88788.