The court appearance by Joseph Gene Hoek this past Thursday in Moody County was brief and to the point.
Hoek, it was announced, has been deemed competent to face the First-Degree Murder and Aggravated Eluding charges against him related to the February 2, 2024 death of Moody County Chief Deputy Sheriff Ken Prorok. Five weeks has been set aside for the trial which is set to begin on April 21, 2025.
Hoek, of Sioux Falls, faces the death penalty if convicted of the charges.

“This is one of those cases that is death-eligible based upon first-degree murder and the involvement of an officer as well as the additional factor of a chase by law enforcement. The legislature has said that is death-eligible. At the end of the day, that would ultimately be a determination by a jury,” Jackley explained.
Hoek has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent under the U.S. Constitution. The defense has filed a motion for further evaluations, and expert disclosures are anticipated as part of the ongoing discovery process in preparation for the April trial date.
“The defense is seeking additional evaluations, which they are entitled to in regard to the plea entered; that will take time,” Jackley noted. The prosecution will also pursue new discovery between now and the trial date.
The jury will be selected from residents throughout Moody County. Should the defense present concerns about the ability to receive a fair trial, the Attorney General said it is typically his position that when an offense occurs in a community, “that community should be making the determination with respect to both the guilt and sentencing phase.”
He also acknowledged the importance of a swift resolution for the victim’s family, adding, “The hope of a prosecutor is to do them justice but do it as swiftly as possible. This is a fairly short time-frame for both a first-degree murder case and a death-penalty case.”