Authorities investigating after Iowa men found dead in camper in South Dakota

Des Moines Register

A stretcher is brought to the door of a camper as law enforcement investigates a crime scene off of Highway 38 on Thursday, August 18, 2022, outside of Sioux Falls.

The bodies of two Iowa men were recovered from a camper Thursday afternoon near Buffalo Ridge in South Dakota, according to the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating the incident.

Deputies and emergency responders arrived at the scene at about 11:45 a.m. Thursday off of Highway 38, Cpt. Josh Phillips said during a police briefing Friday morning, after receiving a call for a wellbeing check when the men had not been heard from over the course of a few days.

Upon arrival, law enforcement found the bodies of the men, both in their mid-40s, outside and inside a camper, Phillips said. At least one of them was living in the camper.

The men were identified as Jason Michael Lucas, 45, of South Dakota and Iowa, and Jason Wayland Blunt, 46, of Iowa, according to the Argus Leader.

A law enforcement member photographs a truck on the property at a crime scene off of Highway 38 on Thursday, August 18, 2022, outside of Sioux Falls.

It was determined the men had been in a fight with one another and had sustained serious knife injuries, which they later died from, Phillips said.

It's unclear when the fight occurred, but Phillips said investigators believe it might have been the day before. Law enforcement is still investigating what led up to the fight.

Autopsies are pending, according to Phillips.

Both were construction roofers and were thought to have known each other previously, Phillips said. Social media accounts and court filings indicate both men were from Davenport, Iowa.

A member of local law enforcement hands a paper bag to someone investigating inside a camper at a crime scene off Highway 38 on Thursday, August 18, 2022, outside of Sioux Falls.

Officers left the scene at about 7 p.m., after having flown drones around the "substantial" crime scene.

The sheriff's office is asking for the public's help in determining what the two were doing in the week before their death.

"Whether they think it's a minute piece of information, anything can be very helpful," Phillips told the Argus Leader.

Grace Altenhofen is a news reporter for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at galtenhofen@registermedia.com or on Twitter @gracealtenhofen.

Annie Todd is a reporter for the Argus Leader. Follow her on Twitter @AnnieTodd96. Reach out to her with tips, questions and other community news at atodd@argusleader.com or give her a call at 605-215-3757.