PIERRE, S.D – A South Dakota Penitentiary inmate will spend another 20 years in prison for strangling his cellmate who requested that he do it, according to Attorney General Marty Jackley.
Douglas Avery Ipsen, 29, was sentenced Monday for first degree manslaughter in the death of cellmate Kent Davidson. Ipsen was sentenced to 30 years with 10 years suspended. This sentence will run consecutive to his current sentence where he is serving 60 years for first degree rape and an additional consecutive 15 year sentence for sexual contact with a child under the age of 16.
Charges in the strangling death against Ipsen stemmed from a Sept. 7 incident last year that resulted in Davidson’s death at the penitentiary. Ipsen admitted to strangling Davidson with a homemade rope pursuant to requests from Davidson.
The case was investigated by the Division of Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.
