RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - Police have made an arrest after a deadly confrontation outside a Rapid City motel.
Gilbert Li Clifford, 33, of Rapid City was arrested Tuesday on a preliminary charge of second-degree murder in the death of a 61-year-old man, the Rapid City Journal (https://bit.ly/2iqEwed ) reports. The victim was found unconscious in a motel room and declared dead at Rapid City Regional Hospital.
On Wednesday, police identified the victim as Robert Smith of Rapid City. Authorities said a preliminary investigation shows Smith died of blunt force trauma.
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Stardust Motel owner John Ashley said Smith had been staying at his motel for about a month and had been living alone. He said his motel no longer has security cameras because of vandalism. But he said businesses around the motel might have footage of what happened, after a female witness said she saw two men arguing in the alley near the motel around 1 a.m. Tuesday.
Police had responded to a phone tip and discovered Smith about two hours later.
Online jail records don’t indicate whether Clifford has an attorney.
The incident marks the second homicide in Rapid City this year.
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Information from: Rapid City Journal, https://www.rapidcityjournal.com
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