Family of Murdered South Dakota Woman Offers $10,000 Reward For Information

Paula Liu
By Paula Liu
September 16, 2019US News
share
Family of Murdered South Dakota Woman Offers $10,000 Reward For Information
Police tape in a file photo. (Mark Makela/Getty Images)

The family of the South Dakota woman who was shot dead in Missouri in December 2018 is offering a $10,000 reward for information that will lead to the arrest of the person responsible, according to multiple reports.

The 40-year-old woman who was shot and killed while driving on Interstate 70 near Boonville was identified as Melissa Peskey, according to Fox 4 Kansas City. According to the Associated Press, Peskey was found still in the driver’s seat at around 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 23.

Authorities who were on the scene thought that it was a car crash, but realized that her two children, ages 5 and 11, were in the car with her after she died, but were not injured. An autopsy was conducted on Peskey to determine if she was shot by someone outside her vehicle.

Authorities have been pursuing several leads on the case, but have yet to make any arrest. Police have asked the public to call in with tips to catch the person responsible.

“We’re two months into it and we’re still hoping people call and give information. It just takes one phone call to break it open,” the Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant Scott White said. So far, no details have been released to the public regarding the death of Peskey.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop F posted the reward information in a twitter post on Sept. 13.

“It’s been 9 months since Melissa was murdered. Through fundraising efforts, her family and friends are now offering a $10,000 reward,” the tweet read. “If you have info on her case & haven’t spoken up, now is the time.”

During a segment on NBC’s Dateline, Kara Renken, Peskey’s sister, said that she received a call from Peskey while she was on her trip about a car that was that was swerving and a semi in a ditch minutes before she went quiet, according to Argus Leader.

“She had talked about a car that was swerving all over the road … and then she said there was a semi in the ditch,” Kara Renken said. “It was two or three minutes after that when she went silent.”

According to the segment on NBC, Melissa Peksey was packing for a trip along with her children, and according to the segment she was going to spend time at a friend’s house in California. Seven hours into the trip Peskey died.

According to Dateline, Peskey’s car crossed through the meridian near mile marker 96 near Boonville, and crashed into a ditch on the side of the highway.

Authorities said that Peskey did not die from the crash, rather, from a bullet. Police have also alleged that the shooting was intentional, according to the Dateline.

ntd newsletter icon
Sign up for NTD Daily
What you need to know, summarized in one email.
Stay informed with accurate news you can trust.
By registering for the newsletter, you agree to the Privacy Policy.
Comments