Left: Naomia Prairie (Pennington County Sheriff’s Department). Right: Donny Merrival (Sioux Funeral Home).
A South Dakota woman who pleaded guilty to neglecting her disabled 18-year-old son, who weighed just 80 lbs at the time of his death, was sentenced to prison.
A press release from the Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office announced that a judge sentenced 40-year-old Naomia Prairie on Monday to 12 years in prison. She pleaded guilty to child abuse and abuse or neglect of a disabled adult, acknowledging that she engaged in abuse against her late 18-year-old son, Donny Merrival, and her 7-year-old child.
According to the State’s Attorney’s Office, Prairie exposed both of her children to illegal drugs while they were in her care. Her son, who had become a quadriplegic at the age of 14, was malnourished, never bathed, and had taken on the appearance of a “Holocaust victim,” according to the doctor who conducted his autopsy.
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Chief Deputy State’s Attorney Gina Nelson, who prosecuted the case, stated that Merrival had been left to “rot” in the motel room where his family was living. After he died there on March 3, 2024, Prairie “fled instead of contacting law enforcement.”
Nelson stated that despite his disability, Merrival thrived while under the care of the Department of Social Services. Once he turned 18 and was turned back over to his mother, his decline began. The 7-year-old child, Nelson said, was never enrolled in school and was “taught to use methamphetamine by other adults.” She noted that the surviving child has made progress since being removed from Prairie’s care.
In the release, Nelson said, “This case represents some of the most egregious conduct we’ve ever seen. Two vulnerable individuals, one a child and the other a severely disabled adult, were entirely dependent on Ms. Prairie for care and safety. Instead, she subjected them to unimaginable suffering and neglect.”
Seventh Circuit Court Judge Joshua Hendrickson, who handed down the sentences, described the case as “haunting” and “shocking.”
He sentenced Prairie to the maximum on both counts — 10 years for child abuse and two years for the neglect of a disabled adult, to be served consecutively.
