Former amateur boxer confronts 62-year-old with nunchucks, fatally punches him, feds say
A former amateur boxer was sentenced to prison after prosecutors said he fatally punched a man in a South Dakota school driveway.
Johnathan Guggolz, 48, was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to five years in prison, according to an Oct. 4 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota.
On Aug. 29, 2023, 62-year-old Darrell Loafer pulled into a McLaughlin school driveway to pick up his wife from work, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Guggolz pulled up next to Loafer and “confronted him about his driving,” prosecutors said.
Guggolz mocked and belittled Loafer, prosecutors said.
Loafer then got out of his car and grabbed a pair of duct-taped homemade nunchucks to protect himself, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Loafer “squared up” with Guggolz, prosecutors said.
“After a few moments of posturing, the man thrust the nunchucks towards Guggolz’ hip. Guggolz then punched the man in the face, knocking him unconscious,” prosecutors said.
Loafer fell backward and hit his head on the concrete. Guggolz looked at Loafer, then got into his truck and drove away, prosecutors said.
However, Guggolz’s attorney, Randy Turner, said that is not what happened.
“Guggolz did pull up and confront Loafer after Loafer passed him illegally and recklessly on Main Street. It was Loafer who then mocked and belittled Guggolz, who started walking away on two separate occasions,” Turner said.
Turner said Loafer and Guggolz “squared up” and after Loafer swung nunchucks at Guggolz. Then Guggolz “hit Loafer once in the eye, and Loafer fell back and hit his head on the concrete,” Turner said.
“There is no way to know whether Loafer was unconscious before his head hit the concrete. Guggolz went to his car and left when he had the chance, just as Loafer’s daughter, who was in Loafer’s vehicle, was attempting to use a stun gun against Guggolz’s passenger,” Turner said.
Loafer died of a traumatic brain injury from the assault, prosecutors said.
Guggolz pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in July.
McLaughlin is in the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in northern South Dakota.
This story was originally published October 7, 2024 at 10:51 AM.
