A Cherokee County man charged with first-degree murder is scheduled to stand trial on March 10, 2026.
Sixty-six-year-old Richard Allen Hammond is accused of intentionally running over 47-year-old Christopher Wheeler of Sutherland with a pickup truck east of Cherokee in the early hours of April 21. Witnesses told investigators Hammond accelerated into a driveway and struck Wheeler, who was working on a vehicle and attempted to flee. Wheeler was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hammond was arrested later that morning and initially released on a $100,000 bond. However, he was taken back into custody in July after allegedly violating a protective order. Prosecutors cited a history of assault and domestic abuse and requested a $1 million cash-only bond, which was granted.
Defense attorneys argue Hammond’s prior offenses were decades old and mostly misdemeanors, and that he has strong community ties.
Multiple attorney changes have occurred since his arrest, with Bethany Brands of Okoboji now serving as co-counsel. If convicted, Hammond faces a mandatory life sentence.
