WATERTOWN, S.D.(KXLG)- Amanda Walder, who was sentenced to 20 years in the Women’s State Penitentiary for Manslaughter in the First Degree in March 2023, has filed a motion to modify her sentence. Court documents indicate a motions hearing is scheduled for July 14, 2025, at 1:15 PM.
Walder, 32, was convicted following a plea agreement accepted by the court, stemming from the death of 17-month-old Liam Koistinen in November 2022. She was initially charged with multiple offenses, including second-degree murder, but four charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
The motion to modify sentence, filed by Walder’s attorney Don McCarty, cites South Dakota codified laws regarding the court’s power to modify judgments of conviction and suspend the execution of the remaining sentence. The filing notes that less than two years have passed since the effective date of the Judgment of Conviction, which was July 17, 2023. The affidavit supporting this motion, however, has been marked confidential and is not open to the public.
During the original sentencing, the prosecution had requested a 50-year sentence, emphasizing that “Justice needs to be served.” Third Judicial Circuit Court Judge Carmen Means presided over the case, describing it as the “single most emotional” case in her ten years on the bench. Judge Means acknowledged the high emotions but stressed the need for deterrence and that “No sentence in the world that can bring Liam back.”
Liam’s parents, Jeff and Genevie Koistinen, delivered emotional victim impact statements during the sentencing, detailing their loss and the “senseless act of violence.” Walder, in a prepared statement, expressed sorrow for the “heartbreak and loss”.
Walder was given 29 days’ credit for time served and ordered to pay over $145,000 in restitution, as well as court costs and county attorney fees. The upcoming hearing will address the request to potentially reduce the number of years of imprisonment imposed by the court.
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