SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO-AM) The accused cold case killer in Minnehaha County gets off with a suspended sentence.
In a plea deal, murder charges were dropped against 57-year-old Kim Aune in the death of 21-year-old Kimberly Eidsness back in 1989, replaced by second-degree manslaughter. Aune could have gotten up to 10 years in jail, but the sentence was suspended, basically to time already served.
The Argus Leader reported that Aune walked out of jail a free man late Wednesday. He is expected to eventually head back to his home in Florida.
The Associated Press reports that this plea arrangement was worked out with the agreement of the Eidsness family, in part because the evidence may not have been strong enough to convict.
(KSFY-TV contributed to this report)