By Monica Sager
Live News Reporter
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The former mayor of a small South Dakota city is facing first-degree murder charges after three victims were found dead Monday night.
Jay Edward Ostrem, 64, allegedly killed the three people with a "premediated design", according to court documents filed Tuesday.
"Jay Ostrem has been arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder, and law enforcement has secured the scene," said Attorney General Marty Jackley. "There is no further threat to the public."
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The murders happened around 10 p.m. on Monday at a residence in Centerville, according to Jackley's office. KYNT reported the shooting was in the 1000 block of Main Street.
Ostrem was booked at the Minnehaha County Jail with no bond on Tuesday morning, according to the Minnehaha County Jail records. The Attorney General's office, however, released a statement that Ostrem is being held on a $1 million cash only bond.
Newsweek reached out to the Turner County Sheriff's Office, who is managing of Ostrem's charges, and did not hear back immediately for comment.
South Dakota's Division of Criminal Investigation is leading the massive investigation. Other agencies involved are the Centerville Police Department, South Dakota Highway Patrol, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, Beresford Police Department, Viborg Police Department, Lincoln County Sheriff's Department, and Turner County Sheriff's Department.
The names of the three victims have not been released at this time.
Who is Jay Ostrem?
Ostrem previously served as a city councilor and was the mayor in Centerville in 2010.
Ostrem, who is originally from Wyoming, was also a Turner County Sheriff's Office investigator in 2007, according to previous local media reporting. He played a role in helping Centerville overcome state-level scrutiny when the city's police chief faced an investigation for a crime in 2006.
Ostrem was the center of a two-year legal batter for Centerville between 2010 and 2012, when the city's former police chief filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against him.
The lawsuit was settled, but former chief Rachel Kopman alleged she was "repeatedly inundated with sexually inappropriate comments and remarks from Ostrem."
Centerville is the home to less than 1,000 people, according to the 2020 Census. The town was named last month as the Community of the Year by the Governor's office of economic development.
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