(Lyon Co Sheriff Logo — KIWA Staff Photo)
Sioux City, Iowa — A Sioux Falls man has pleaded not guilty to charges related to the disappearance and death of a teen girl — in a case with ties to northwest Iowa.
McKenna Wendel, a 14-year-old girl from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was reported missing from Sioux Falls on March 13, 2026. She was found dead a few days later, on March 19, in rural Brookings County, South Dakota. Police say she was found east of the town of Brookings. Authorities say 51-year-old Mark Milk, McKenna’s uncle, and 38-year-old Jon Rogness were indicted on several charges related to McKenna’s death.
Milk, of Sioux Falls, is facing five charges in connection with the teen’s death:
- Possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death
- Possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance
- Transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity
- Conspiracy to conceal objects with intent to impair their availability for an official proceeding
- Concealing objects with the intent to impair their availability for official proceedings
For Rogness, a Brookings, South Dakota resident, he is facing two counts:
- Conspiracy to conceal objects with the intent to impair their availability for an official proceeding
- Accessory after the fact
Both men were charged in federal court in Iowa’s Northern District.
Milk pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Trial in Milk’s case is set for September 28, 2026, in the United States District Court in Sioux City. If convicted, Milk faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment; a $1,000,000 fine; and up to 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
Rogness’s initial appearance and arraignment are scheduled for August 6, 2026. If convicted, Rogness faces a possible maximum sentence of 35 years’ imprisonment; a $250,000 fine; and up to 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
In addition to several federal and South Dakota agencies, the Iowa Division of Criminal Enforcement (DCI), the Iowa State Patrol, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lyon County Attorney’s Office are listed as assisting with the investigation.
The two are being tried in Iowa because the alleged federal offenses are believed to have occurred in northwest Iowa.
