SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A 33-year-old man is headed to prison for 80 years following the “cold-blooded” killing of an autistic man, according to a Tuesday news release from Pennington County.
On the morning of Aug. 13, 2021, Austin Freeman, 20, was walking to his grandmother’s house when he was approached by then 31-year-old William Daly. Daly beckoned Freeman toward a vehicle, Freeman complied and was shot in the stomach by Daly. Daly left Freeman to die according to the release.
The killing was captured on video and Freeman’s cries were recorded during a 911 call.
Daly pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in July. He was sentenced to 80 years on Tuesday.
At Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Freeman’s family shared Victim Impact Statements.
“Everything in our family has changed. Things feel tense. Everyone gets angry faster and stays sad more often,” said Austin’s brother in a statement.
Major Crimes Unit Prosecutor Roxanne Hammond emphasized Freeman’s vulnerability and the calculated nature of Daly’s actions. “There was no excuse for what happened here. This case is truly, in the deepest sense of the word, a senseless tragedy,” Hammond said in court, according t to the release.
The release said Judge Matthew Brown described the killing as “grotesque” and “one of the most cold-blooded acts I’ve ever seen.”
