Left: Naomia Prairie (Pennington County Sheriff’s Department). Right: Donny Merrival (Sioux Funeral Home).
A South Dakota mother who admitted to neglecting her disabled 18-year-old son—who weighed only 80 pounds when he died—has received a prison sentence.
According to a statement from the Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office, a judge handed down a 12-year prison term to 40-year-old Naomia Prairie on Monday. She admitted guilt to charges of child abuse and the abuse or neglect of a disabled adult, relating to the mistreatment of her late 18-year-old son, Donny Merrival, as well as her 7-year-old child.
The State’s Attorney’s Office detailed that Prairie exposed her children to illegal drugs while they were under her supervision. Her son, who became a quadriplegic at 14, was found malnourished, unwashed, and with a gaunt appearance described as akin to a “Holocaust victim,” according to the doctor who performed 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.
