In 2015, 22-year-old Jessica Rehfeld was in an on-again, off-again relationship with Jonathan Klinetobe.

According to court documents, Klinetobe suspected Rehfeld of infidelity and was enraged by her decision to end their relationship and reunite with a former boyfriend. He harassed her with threatening calls, texts, and humiliating social media posts.

Fearing for her safety, Rehfeld obtained a temporary protection order against Klinetobe in May 2015. Angered, Klinetobe began discussing killing Rehfeld with their mutual friend, Richard Hirth.

The group's cruel plan

According to Hirth, Klinetobe lied, claiming the notorious Hells Angels motorcycle gang offered a $80,000 bounty for anyone who killed Rehfeld because she allegedly possessed "damaging information about the group." Klinetobe arranged a call with someone impersonating a Hells Angels member to confirm the $80,000 reward. When Hirth asked about the "plan of action," the impersonator said "dead."

Dave Schneider was then brought into the plan. The trio met several times between late April and early May 2015.

As a trusted friend of Rehfeld, Hirth was tasked with picking her up from work and diverting her to a different location for the murder. Klinetobe instructed Hirth to bring him Rehfeld's blood-stained necklace as proof.

On 18/5/2015, Hirth and Schneider arrived at Rehfeld's home. Instead of taking her to work, they drove her to a secluded spot on a back road.

Rehfeld fought back and pleaded for her life, but to no avail. Hirth recalled Rehfeld repeatedly saying, "I trusted you," and asking, "Why are you doing this? What did I do?" Knowing she was dying from fatal wounds, she asked if she could call her father, then requested the two killers roll down the car window so she could see the stars one last time. Rehfeld died 20 minutes after the attack began.

After the murder, the pair placed Rehfeld's body in a military-style body bag and put it in the trunk of their car.

Hirth called Klinetobe with the news and then picked him up to help dispose of the body. They buried Rehfeld in a shallow grave in the Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota. Klinetobe removed Rehfeld's necklace, purse, wallet, cell phone, and identification before burying her.

Jonathan Klinetobe in court in 2019. Photo: KEVN

Jonathan Klinetobe in court in 2019. Photo: KEVN

Klinetobe returned to the burial site multiple times, but due to his epilepsy, he had to rely on his friend, Beverly Cheshire, for transportation. According to court records, Cheshire testified that Klinetobe coerced her into driving him there and threatened that "she would be next" if she told anyone about the murder.

Klinetobe later enlisted the help of two other men, Michael Frye and Garland Brown, to move and rebury Rehfeld's body in a deeper grave nearby.

The confession that helped find the body

For a year, while Rehfeld was considered missing, Klinetobe feigned concern and lied to the police and her family. He even tried to implicate Rehfeld's new boyfriend in the case.

Rehfeld's disappearance might have remained a buried secret, but Cheshire could no longer bear the weight of her knowledge. She confessed everything she knew to the police. Thanks to this information, Rehfeld's body was found in May 2016. Her necklace, wallet, and other personal belongings were recovered from Klinetobe's home.

Klinetobe, Hirth, and Schneider were arrested and charged with multiple counts, including first-degree murder conspiracy, kidnapping, and first-degree aggravated kidnapping conspiracy.

In 2019, four years after Rehfeld's murder, Klinetobe pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting first-degree manslaughter. As part of a plea deal, he admitted his role in the murder, including the fabricated story about the Hells Angels offering $80,000 for Rehfeld's death.

Klinetobe was sentenced to life in prison without parole. He appealed, but the South Dakota Supreme Court upheld the original sentence in 2021.

Court records show a pattern of abuse against women by Klinetobe. Four women sought protection orders within a year of Rehfeld's disappearance, including an ex-girlfriend and a woman who had recently given birth to his child.

Schneider pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting first-degree murder and was sentenced to 75 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after 35 years. Garland Brown and Michael Frye, the two who helped bury the body, both pleaded guilty to being accessories. Brown was sentenced to 5 years, while Frye received a suspended sentence.

Authorities took a long time to charge Richard Hirth. Photo: NewsCenter1

Authorities took a long time to charge Richard Hirth. Photo: NewsCenter1

Hirth initially pleaded not guilty, but in May 2019, he changed his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity.

Hirth's trial began in September 2023 but was abruptly halted after a defense expert witness refused to testify.

After much legal wrangling, the judge determined that Hirth could not receive a fair trial without expert testimony regarding his mental state during the crime.

On July 7th, after three mistrials, 44-year-old Richard Hirth pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting first-degree manslaughter. In exchange for his guilty plea, the prosecution dropped the original first-degree murder charge, which could have resulted in the death penalty. The judge sentenced Hirth to the maximum sentence of life in prison.

Rehfeld's family brought her photo to Richard Hirth's sentencing. Photo: Pennington County State's Attorney's Office

Rehfeld's family brought her photo to Richard Hirth's sentencing. Photo: Pennington County State's Attorney's Office

Hirth was the last of the five individuals convicted in Rehfeld's death, finally bringing closure to the decade-long case.

Prosecutors expressed satisfaction with the sentence, even though it wasn't a first-degree murder conviction. They believed the manslaughter plea deal offered a chance to end the victim's family's suffering. "Justice didn't come swiftly or easily, but it did come," the prosecutor said.

Tue Anh (according to True Crime Story, SDPB)