Scott Westerhuis
Scott Westerhuis was a South Dakota businessman and father who, in 2015, murdered his wife and four children before committing suicide.
Family
Scott Westerhuis and his wife, Nicole, lived near Platte, South Dakota, with their four children, Kailey, Jaeci, Connor, and Michael.[1]
Scott and Nicole both worked at Mid-Central Educational Cooperative; Scott serving as the business manager and Nicole as the assistant business manager.[2] Scott and Nicole also worked with nonprofit organizations that received GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) funding--a federal grant program through the Department of Education.[3]
Embezzling
At the time of their deaths, Scott and Nicole were being investigated for financial malfeasance, and a review of their financial records indicated that they had stolen more than $1 million dollars that were to be used to provide educational opportunities to Native Americans students to help them prepare for college.[2]
The familicide occurred just hours after Mid-Central Educational Cooperative was informed by the state that it was losing a $4.3 million federal GEAR UP contract because of accounting issues.[2] A court affidavit indicated that the couple's illegal activity began sometime around 2010, but became more brazen near the time of the killings.[2]
The couple allegedly took money from Mid-Central Education Cooperative's bank account to fund the American Indian Institute for Innovation's payroll, totaling about $826,000.[2] Other employees of Mid-Central faced felony charges for the embezzlement scheme.
Scott and Nicole's embezzlement and the looming investigation is believed to be Scott's motive in killing his wife and four children and then setting their house on fire before committing suicide.
Murder-Suicide
The Westerhuis family lived at 36705 279th Street, three miles South of Platte, South Dakota.[4] On September 17, 2015, a house fire occurred at that property.
On September 22, 2015, preliminary autopsy reports indicated that Nicole, 9-year old Kailey, 10-year old Jaeci, 14-year old Connor, and 17-year old Michael Westerhuis were the victims of homicide and died by shotgun wound.[4] The cause and manner of death for Scott Westerhuis was suspected and later confirmed by investigatory findings as suicide by shotgun wound.[4]
On November 3, 2015, South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley held a press conference with state, local, and federal law enforcement, as well as first responders, at which press conference they released the results of their investigation.[4] The investigation results confirmed that the "totality of circumstances indicated that Scott Westerhuis was responsible for the death of his family."[4]
The Westerhuis home was equipped with a fire alarm system, which was tied to the residence's landline. The system was programmed to call Scott Westerhuis' cell phone and then Nicole's in the event of a fire.[4] Scott's cell phone received a call at 2:56:35 and it ended at 2:57:45. Nine seconds later, Nicole's phone received a call. These calls indicate the time of the fire and thus the time of the crime, as the calls to Scott and Nicole's phones likely came from the automated fire alarm system.[4]
Aftermath
Following the investigation of the killings, the investigations into the GEAR UP scandal continued. It was reported in 2018 that Mid-Central Educational Cooperative was responsible for $5 million in missing and stolen GEAR UP funds.[5]
Mid-Central Co-op blamed its accounting firm, Schoenfish & Company, for the discrepancy and accused the firm of accounting malpractice. Schoenfish & Company is the accounting firm of current South Dakota Senator, Kyle Schoenfish.[5]
Attorney General Marty Jackley said then that Scott and Nicole Westerhuis stole up to $2 million in grant money.[5]
The former Mid-Central Educational Cooperative Director, Dan Guericke, pleaded guilty in September 2018, to one felony count of falsifying evidence. He had been charged in 2016 with six felony accounts alleged falsified evidence and conspiracy to offer forged or fraudulent evidence. Stacy Phelps, a consultant for the Co-op, was a co-defendant in the trial.
The Westerhuis property is currently the home of New Hope Christian Camp and Retreat Center, which was established in 2017 by the Platte Ministerial Association.[6]
References
- ↑ "Officials: South Dakota man killed wife, 4 kids then himself". CBS News. Associated Press. September 22, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "AG: S.D. couple who died in murder-suicide stole grant money". CBS News. Associated Press. March 16, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)". U.S. Department of Education. June 26, 2025. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 "Release of Further Information on the Westerhuis Fire and Death Investigation". South Dakota State News (Press release). January 5, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Kennecke, Angela (March 1, 2017). "SD Legislator's Accounting Firm Named In GEAR UP Lawsuit". KELO-TV. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2026. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "About". New Hope Christian Camp and Retreat Center. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
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