A former South Dakota police chief has been accused of murdering his fiancée to collect over $900,000 in insurance money.
Russell Bertram, 64, was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder in the October 2009 death of Leonila Stickney, 26, who was pregnant at the time. During the opening statements of the trial, prosecutors argued that Bertram also killed Stickney out of jealously. Purportedly, Bertram underwent a vasectomy and knew that the child could not be his.
Bertram and Stickney began a relationship in 2009. Not long after, $750,000 life insurance policy was taken out on Stickney. Another small policy was taken out with a $150,000 accidental death benefit, with Bertram as the beneficiary.
It was not until late last year that Bertram was charged. Court documents detailed that David Stickney—the victim’s estranged husband—received a letter months after her murder from a life insurer that was processing a claim from Bertram. David then contacted the South Dakota attorney general's office criminal division with the information in hand, helping launch an investigation into the matter that led to a murder charge last fall.
Assistant Attorney General Mikal Hanson told the jury that Bertram changed his story in every interview, giving different accounts on how the gun was fired, when he found out that Stickney was with child, and what Stickney's last words were.
Bertram asserted that he was storing his shotgun into his truck after a hunting trip in Gregory County when the weapon accidentally discharged and hit Stickney in the abdomen.
On Wednesday, Bertram's defense team argued the case has nothing to do with jealousy and maintained that the insurance policy was Stickney's idea so that she could financially support her family back in the Philippines if anything happened to her.
Mike Butler, one of Bertram’s lawyers, told that court that court Bertram had sent money occasionally Stickney's family before he was arrested. Butler also said that the case had been thoroughly investigated at the time, with the authorities deciding against arresting Bertram.
Court records noted that Bertram traveled to the Philippines after Stickney's death, marrying her sister Melissa del Valle. Melissa has since filed for divorce, citing Bertram’s “extreme cruelty” as the reason.
Butler said that there is no evidence to suggest that Bertram abused either woman. He, however, noted that Bertram did use Stickney's cellphone after her passing to send messages to the man he suspected got her pregnant. Butler upheld, however, that such a fact should not have any bearing on the case.
“As for evidence of moral conduct, I suppose some would argue as inappropriate,” Butler remarked. “I'm not here defending a morals case. I'm defending a murder case.”
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