South Dakota Man Charged with Murder and Decapitation of His Mother

Bowen Fladland. Booking photo from Codington County Sheriff's Office and Jail

A South Dakota man has been arrested and charged with the brutal murder and decapitation of his mother in the small town of Clark. Authorities say 36-year-old Bowen Fladland faces charges of first-degree and second-degree murder in the death of his mother, Marlene Fladland, according to the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office.

Police responded to a residence on North Cloud Street in Clark on Tuesday, where they discovered the body of 64-year-old Marlene Fladland in the front yard. A relative had contacted authorities after speaking with the victim Saturday morning, during which Marlene allegedly said her son was assaulting her. The mother and son shared the home.

Investigators tracked Bowen Fladland to Watertown, approximately 30 miles east of Clark, where he was taken into custody and agreed to an interview.

“During a post-Miranda interview, Fladland admitted to assaulting his mother, kneeling on her neck until she was apparently deceased, and then used a tool to remove her head,” the probable cause affidavit stated.

No motive for the killing has been disclosed, but court records indicate a history of domestic violence involving Fladland and his mother. In a previous case, Fladland was charged with two consecutive days of assault after allegedly grabbing his mother by the throat, shoving her onto a bed, and later against a refrigerator. During one of the incidents, he reportedly threatened her with two butter knives. He was convicted of aggravated battery and sentenced to a 10-year suspended sentence.

Fladland also reportedly violated the terms of his probation approximately two months ago.

He is currently being held at the Codington County Jail in Watertown on a $500,000 cash bond. The investigation remains ongoing.