Pine Ridge man admits to knowing about murder, lying to investigators

PINE RIDGE RESERVATION, S.D. (KELO) – Charles Brings Plenty has pleaded guilty to an ‘Accessory After the Fact’ charge in relation to the death of CJ Grass Jr. on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Brings Plenty had originally been charged with second degree murder in this case.

We first told you about CJ Grass Jr. in January after talking with his mother, Rose Cottier , on the Pine Ridge Reservation. She told us her son went missing in April of 2023 and three months later he was found dead.

“That hurts me so bad; I just can’t get over it any more,” Cottier said during our interview. “It changed my life; I can’t do anything. Up to this day I hurt so much. I just hurt. I can’t get over it.”

According to court documents, Brings Plenty admitted to picking up Grass the night of April 21, 2023, with an unnamed 16-year-old. They took Grass to an isolated area near the Old Sundance Grounds in Pine Ridge.

Brings Plenty and the teenager got in a fight with Grass, but court documents say it was the 16-year-old who assaulted Grass and hit him with a car. Brings Plenty and the teen left Grass on the side of the road.

In May, Brings Plenty was questioned by investigators after Grass was reported missing. Brings Plenty admitted that at the time of questioning, he lied about the assault and where Grass was left, even though he knew Grass was seriously injured and possibly dead.

In July, human skeletal remains were found in the area where Brings Plenty and the teenager had left Grass. Brings Plenty admitted he knew the remains were those of Grass.

CJ Grass Jr. was 38 years old at the time of his death.

“He didn’t deserve to die,” Cottier said. “He never treated anybody mean, never was mean to anybody.”

Brings Plenty’s sentencing hearing is set for July 2nd. According to court documents, he could face up to 15 years in federal prison.

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