Box Elder Woman Accused of Killing Boyfriend Cleared

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A Box Elder woman accused of murdering her boyfriend last year has been cleared of all charges after a video showed she was terrorized by the man prior to shooting him.

Pennington County State's Attorney Mark Vargo announced Tuesday that 24-year-old Kelly Croyle was cleared of her second-degree murder charge after a forensic expert reviewed the killing that was caught on video.

Croyle was accused of shooting Dick Mashek in a mobile home in September. She has maintained it was in self-defense.

Vargo says the video of the killing, which Mashek filmed, convinced mental health analyst Dr. Park Dietz that Croyle acted in her defense. Dietz concluded Mashek had assaulted Croyle frequently and repeatedly said she would not leave the mobile home alive.

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