Rep. Johnson introduces bill removing statute of limitations for murder on federal lands

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - Rep. Dusty Johnson has introduced legislation that would remove the statute of limitations for certain murder cases committed on federal and tribal lands. 

The bill, known as Kamisha’s Law, would eliminate time limits for prosecuting noncapital homicide crimes, including second-degree murder, in federal and tribal jurisdictions. 

Sen. Mike Rounds has also introduced a companion bill in the Senate. 

The legislation is named in honor of Kamisha Nyvold, a toddler who was murdered in Sisseton in 1992. According to Johnson’s office, new information surfaced more than 30 years later, leading to the prosecution of a suspect. However, prosecutors were unable to pursue a second-degree murder charge because the five-year statute of limitations had expired. 

Johnson said the legislation is intended to prevent similar outcomes in future cases. 

“This is a much overdue reform for families like Kamisha’s,” Johnson said in a statement. “It’s unfortunate that Kamisha’s killer will only spend ten years behind bars.” 

Rounds said murder prosecutions should not be constrained by time limits, particularly when new evidence emerges years after a crime. 

“In the case of Jay Adams Jr., new evidence was not brought forward until over three decades after Kamisha was murdered,” Rounds said, adding that the legislation would remove the statute of limitations for second-degree murder on federal lands. 

Kamisha’s mother, Christine Irwin, and her husband, Roger Irwin, have advocated for the legislation, saying it is intended to promote accountability and prevent similar cases from going unprosecuted. 

The measure will be considered by Congress during the current legislative session.