Orange City, Iowa — A former Sioux County resident has been sentenced on contempt of court charges in regard to a manslaughter case from over 20 years ago. The Sioux County Attorney’s office tells us now-42-year-old Dustin Stienstra reneged on his requirement to pay restitution.
Sioux County Attorney Thomas Kunstle says Stienstra, formerly from Sioux County but now residing in Sedona, Arizona, has been sentenced in Sioux County District Court for the crime of Contempt of Court.
Kunstle says that in 2004, Stienstra was sentenced for Involuntary Manslaughter for his involvement with a murder-suicide in Hospers. On February 13, 2004, the Court ordered Stienstra to pay $168,132.03 in restitution to the homicide survivors, $150,000 of which was ordered to the 8-month-old daughter of the victim. That restitution remained almost entirely unpaid.
He says that on May 12, 2022, the State initiated a contempt action against Stienstra, who later severed contact with Iowa authorities. On February 1, 2023, Stienstra made his final payment before ceasing any payments for the next 27 months.
The county attorney’s office states that on May 15th of this year, after learning Stienstra was residing in a residence with an estimated tax assessment of $955,240.00, the County Attorney sought a nationwide warrant, which was granted and served on June 11, 2025.
The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office coordinated with Arizona authorities to drive to Arizona to retrieve Stienstra and transport him to the Sioux County Jail, where he was held without bond.
On July 7, 2025, the District Court found Stienstra in Contempt and sentenced him to 180 days in the Sioux County Jail, suspended all but 30 days, with credit for time previously served, ordered Stienstra pay $250.00 per month, ordered he update Iowa about any change of address, and finally ordered the remaining 150 days in jail may be purged by compliance with monthly payments, to be reviewed at a hearing on July 13, 2026.
