- [Narrator 1] This episode of "South Dakota Focus" contains discussions of murder, sexual violence against children and suicide.

These stories could be triggering for some viewers.

Help is available by calling or texting 988.

(gentle music) - That was the philosophy in those days.

You just be quiet.

Don't talk about those things.

It's gonna be upsetting.

And I just remember being very confused and wondering, "What's going on here?

"Who did this and why?"

- If I don't have an adult or I don't have someone that I can try to make some sense out of things that don't make sense to any of us, right?

That can be really challenging.

And then if we also throw on top of that, that this was an adolescent, again, adolescents are kind of known for trying to seek rewards and approval from peers.

And so if I'm being further socially isolated from my peers, that can make it so that I'm even more vulnerable than I was before.

- If we would like to see communities with healthy, functioning, capable adults, then we have to understand that the action we take today is going to impact that community tomorrow.

- [Narrator 2] 50 years after the murders at Gitchie Manitou, how our response to child trauma continues to evolve.

That's tonight's "South Dakota Focus."

(light music) - [Narrator 3] This is a production of South Dakota Public Broadcasting.

(light music) (light music) (light music) (gentle music) - (breathes deeply) November 17th, 1973, I was a 10th grader at Sioux Falls Washington High School.

Now, on the Sunday, November 18th, we'd gotten some word in the neighborhood that some kids from our neighborhood or school had been killed, but we didn't know any details.

We thought maybe it was a car accident.

The next Monday morning, I get up to go to school.

And on the radio, all four names were announced.

15-year-old Mike Hadrath, 18 year old Stewart Baade, Stewart's 14-year-old brother, Dana, and 17-year-old Roger Essem had been murdered at Gitchie Manitou State Park.

I became physically sick.

I went in the bathroom and almost threw up.

It was just a horrible slap in the face.

- [Narrator 2] Phil Hamman grew up with the boys who were murdered at Gitchie Manitou State Park.

Mike Hadrath was his closest childhood friend.

- [Jackie] What was it like at school that day?

- A lot of kids were crying in the hallways.

They were talking about it.

A lot of tears in the hallways.

But the teachers were starting to kinda get irritated.

They were yelling at kids.

"Don't talk about this, just go to class.

"No more talking about this Gitchie Manitou thing."

And it's not that the teachers were doing anything out of line, that was the philosophy in those days.

You just be quiet.

Don't talk about those things.

It's gonna be upsetting.

- [Narrator 2] The violent crime was a shock for the area.

There was no motive.

And initially, no suspect for the crimes that occurred just east of Sioux Falls.

The idea that a murderer was on the loose added to everyone's anxiety.

- Who would do this?

Why would they do this?

They were good kids.

They were well-liked.

Who's behind this?

And then of course, everybody started focusing on Sandra Cheskey.

- [Narrator 2] Turns out there was a witness to the murders, a 13-year-old girl.

Sandra Cheskey was dating Roger Essem and he invited her to join him and some friends for a bonfire.

While they were sitting in the woods, three brothers posing as law enforcement fired multiple shots.

Essem was hit.

Ultimately, Cheskey was separated from the others, raped, taken home, and threatened.

She was told to stay silent or she'd be killed.

The next morning, she learned none of the boys made it home.

She was the only one who could identify the men who'd attacked them.

It's a rare story for this region, but the response from grieving teenagers wasn't that rare at all.

- I wanna talk about their story because I think it illustrates something about how we care for young people who have gone through traumatic events and how that might have changed in the 50 years since what happened here at Gitchie Manitou.

- [Narrator 2] Sandra Cheskey didn't respond to our invitations for an interview.

So instead, we talked with someone who's helped share her story, Phil Hamman.

He's one of the authors of "Gitchie Girl," a book about Sandra's life before and after that night.

Hamman first met Sandra Cheskey about two years after the murders.

- So I'm 17 years old and this young teenage girl comes up to me and she goes, "Are you Phil Hamman?"

And I go, "Yes."

And she put her hand out.

She said, "I'm Sandra Cheskey."

And I looked at her and she said, "Could we sit down and talk for a few minutes?"

I said, "Yes, Sandra, I would like to talk to you."

So we went over and sat on a bench and she said, "You were Mike's best friend, weren't you?"

And I said, "Yeah, all the while we were kids growing up."

She said, "He's my hero, you know?

"When the shooting started, I was frozen with fear "and he pulled me behind a tree to safety.

"He's a 15-year-old kid and he had the guts "to pull me behind a tree when the shotgun's going off."

- [Narrator 2] That was the first Hamman heard of what really happened that night.

And it was the first of many conversations he would come to have with Cheskey.

Decades later, after he published a memoir, Cheskey said she was finally ready to share her side of the story with the rest of the world.

Before "Gitchie Girl" was published, all anyone knew about what happened that night came from news coverage of the investigation and testimony at the trial.

Cheskey helped investigators identify the killers, Allen, James, and David Fryer, brothers from Sioux Falls.

She rode in police cars for days trying to identify the farmstead where Allen Fryer took her and James raped her.

During the trial, she sat on the witness stand for hours at a time.

Court transcripts provided by the Dickinson County Clerk of Courts in Iowa demonstrate the burden on the young girl.

- [Lawyer] You did not consent in any way to this attack?

This sexual assault he made upon you?

- [Cheskey] What do you mean consent?

- [Lawyer] You didn't let him do this?

- [Cheskey] No.

- [Narrator 2] At one point, lawyers asked Cheskey to review photographs from the crime scene.

- [Lawyer] I'm gonna show you State's Exhibit 3 and would ask you to identify the bodies that appear in State's Exhibit 3.

- [Cheskey] Dana and Mike.

- [Lawyer] And with the one on the left in the blue, the solid blue jacket, would that be Dana Baade?

- [Cheskey] Yes.

- [Lawyer] And the one on the right with the plaid jacket on would be Mike Hadrath?.

- [Cheskey] Yes.

- [Lawyer] And I show you what has been marked State's Exhibit 9 and would ask you whose body that is?

- [Cheskey] Roger.

- [Lawyer] And would that be Roger Essem?

- [Cheskey] Yes.

(gentle music) - [Narrator 2] All three Fryer brothers received life sentences for the murders.

The trial was over, but Cheskey's life was never the same.

Since James Fryer was already behind bars for life, prosecutors decided not to charge him for Sandra's rape.

The "Gitchie Girl" book describes the social stigma she experienced like this.

Kids at school kept their distance not wanting to be associated with the Gitchie Girl, a term that was now often used in place of her name.

Most of the mothers of her former friends no longer allowed their daughters to keep company with the tainted Gitchie Girl, as if the violence that had been perpetrated against Sandra somehow made her a disreputable person.

She wanted to hear, "There's the girl "who helped put those killers behind bars."

Instead, it was callous whispers.

- Every year, the anniversary of the murder, she was so depressed.

She couldn't hardly get out of bed.

She just wanted somebody, her brothers, her mom, somebody to come over and talk to her about it, but nobody ever did because even though her brothers and mother loved her dearly, the philosophy was just don't bring up Gitchie Manitou.

Don't talk about it.

It'll hurt her feelings.

Don't open those old wounds.

And Sandra said, "I cried all day long.

"I desperately wanted somebody to come "and hold my hand and talk about this thing."

- [Narrator 2] It took decades for Sandra Cheskey to find healthy ways to live with the violence she experienced as a young girl.

She eventually told her story to Phil and Sandy Hamman in the hopes it would help others with similar experiences feel less alone.

Many who work as advocates for trauma victims say, in the aftermath of abuse and violence, people need to talk and children need someone to talk to.

Tifanie Petro is the advocacy and prevention program director for the Children's Home Child Advocacy Center.

It's not the path she expected her life to take.

- I remember sitting in my undergrad course at Black Hills State University and I had taken a child development class as kind of a one-off or an elective.

And I remember sitting in that class and they were talking about how this professional was talking to a child about their sexual abuse and how they were helping them heal and proceed through that whole process.

And I have some lived experience of my own with childhood adversities.

And I remember just almost getting hit like by a lightning bolt going, I think I'm supposed to work with kids and families.

- [Narrator 2] Petro now works around the state on programs to help children who've experienced trauma.

She also works as a forensic interviewer.

That technique helps investigators collect legally defensible information in a way that's developmentally appropriate.

The method gained traction in the 1980s.

- Primarily child sexual abuse are the cases that we get involved with the most.

But physical abuse, witness to violence, officer involved crimes, kind of the worst of the worst that children can experience, human trafficking, all of those.

And it's a specialized interview in which you have to have not only the training, but also understand the research that guides how you ask a question, why you're asking a question in order to elicit the most accurate information in terms of what the child is able to deliver.

- [Narrator 2] Forensic interviews can provide information for an investigation, but they don't replace testimony in a courtroom.

When Sandra Cheskey was questioned in that Iowa courtroom 50 years ago, it was standard practice.

Until recently, the only additional protection for child witnesses in South Dakota involved letting them testify from another room in the courthouse with a video link.

But lawyers rarely argued for the measure because it can complicate a defendant's right to face their accuser.

More often than not, a child witness takes the stand in front of the person charged with abusing them.

- How much harder is that on these children?

It's especially true when we know that about 90% of victimization to children happens at the hands of someone they know, someone they're supposed to be able to trust.

- [Narrator 2] In 2021, Petro began working with Senator Tim Reed of Brookings on legislation to make the judicial system less harmful to child victims.

Over the past few years, lawmakers have raised the age limit for those protections from 12 to 16.

- The age of consent is 16 in South Dakota.

To get a statute that covers all the way up to age of consent is huge.

- [Narrator 2] But that's not all.

Lawmakers recently blocked defense lawyers from using harassing language toward child witnesses and permitted judges to allow for adequate breaks during difficult testimony.

In addition, state law now allows kids to use therapy dogs or comfort items on the stand.

- A teddy bear shouldn't be something that sways a jury about whether or not a child is being truthful.

- [Narrator 2] The child trauma cases that make it to court are often especially brutal.

These are experiences with lasting effects.

But everyday experiences like poverty, bullying, family violence can also have long-term effects on mental health.

People who work in child welfare often reference ACEs for Adverse Childhood Experiences.

The idea began with 10 key experiences that can lead to traumatic outcomes.

They include child sexual abuse, incarceration of a family member and more.

- When we talk about ACEs, we're often referencing the original ACEs study from the early 90s that was really meant to be a reflective tool to working with adults to help them understand how their lived experiences impact their current behaviors and actions.

- [Narrator 2] Since then, ACEs have expanded to include things like poverty, racism, and violence in the community.

These early life experiences can impact a child's emotional development and shape the kind of adult they become.

- Sometimes divorce or not having enough food to eat or having people that not feeling like you have people that care about you, that could literally change the way that your brain is built.

And so me as an adult sitting here in front of you, I'm a culmination of every experience I have ever had, but it wasn't just those biological factors.

It was what was hardwired into me in my environment.

It's not just the event that matters.

It's about what happens afterwards.

- [Narrator 2] In the 50 years since Sandra Cheskey testified against the Fryer Brothers for the murders at Gitchie Manitou, the judicial system has slowly balanced the scales to better protect vulnerable young people.

But the effects of adverse experiences linger much longer than any trial.

And frankly, kids are much more likely to enter a classroom than a courtroom.

(gentle music) Today, schools can serve as a central resource for children's mental health.

Phil Hamman bears witness to that.

He recently retired after 40 years as a teacher in Sioux City, Iowa.

- It slowly evolved from, "You don't talk about this."

to "You need to talk about this."

So I've taught in big schools, and so it seems like something tragic happens every year in a big school.

There's a car accident, we lose a student.

And anytime that happens, there's an army of counselors that will come in and be ready to talk to teachers that are upset, students.

- [Narrator 2] And training for educators continues to evolve too.

Kari Oyen is the director of the School Psychology Program at the University of South Dakota.

She also works with the state's Division of Behavioral Health to train schools how to respond to a crisis.

- It's not a matter of, if you're gonna have a crisis, it's just when.

And I think what we're really finding out is that it's so critical to have schools be places where kids feel not only physically safe, but psychologically safe.

And when something bad happens, like the death of a beloved community member or a death of a student or a natural disaster, those kinds of things, we have to be so mindful of looking at the impact this might have.

- [Narrator 2] Oyen talks about what she calls psychological triage, when the kind of intervention matches the degree of trauma.

For instance, if a group of students experiences the same thing, then group counseling could be best.

- It can feel like I'm not alone, like, "Oh, my friend is also having "a hard time sleeping at night."

And then we leave with empowerment.

What are the things we can do to feel better?

- [Narrator 2] Oyen says more than 100 schools in South Dakota have participated in this crisis training.

But long-term mental health needs require a different response.

Oyen says one in five children has a diagnosable mental illness today.

- Of those that get help, it's not very many of them.

Like 25% get help.

And of those that get help, about 75% of them get help at school.

- That help can come in the form of school counselors, social workers, and school psychologists.

But all three are specialized fields that need college degrees and licensure.

And all three are in high-demand.

Take school psychologists, for example.

The National Association of School Psychologists recommends one for every 500 students.

In South Dakota, there's one school psychologist for every 1,650 students.

- We know that one of the biggest barriers to addressing the shortage is that getting a school psychology degree is an advanced degree.

And it costs a lot of money and time to invest in that advanced degree.

- [Narrator 2] But a new grant program could change that, at least in the short term.

USD's School Psychology Program won a $3 million federal grant earlier this year to address the shortage of school-based mental health providers.

Some of that money will go towards tuition stipends and incentives for school districts to bring in interns from the program.

It'll take a few years to see results from that grant.

In the meantime, another approach is gaining traction.

There's now state money to support student mental health programs.

Some of the money approved by lawmakers this year will support groups that train students to help each other.

A similar program called Natural Helpers has been making a difference in Lower Brule since 2017.

Jessica Shaffer is a social worker at Lower Brule Schools, a tribally controlled school system on the Lower Brule Reservation in central South Dakota.

Many of those adverse childhood experiences mentioned earlier in the program are very common in reservation communities.

Shaffer says the Natural Helpers program began with a student survey after a cluster of suicides in the community.

- We just needed a grassroots effort because there's just not enough mental health providers to meet the need.

I mean, I think that's everywhere.

- [Narrator 2] The survey asks students who they relied on most.

That information helped Shaffer and others decide on a program.

- 50% would rather go to their friends, and then it was a huge drop jump to like 9% to go to their parents and then the teachers.

We really look at talking to the people who know the culture and what works best.

And the Natural Helper program really fit into being a good relative.

One of the Lakota virtues is being a good relative.

- [Narrator 2] Students listed the names of friends they knew they could rely on.

Those students were the first to receive the training.

They learned how to talk about mental health and how and when to get an adult involved.

Today, nearly 30 students are part of the Natural Helpers group in the Lower Brule middle and high schools.

Several current and former members joined us to talk about the program.

- [Jackie] If you wanna raise your hand, how many of you know someone who has died by suicide?

Wow, that's almost all of you.

- Native Americans are like the highest suicide rates.

And also, for the gender side, males have the most suicide rates.

- And it's almost like you're always thinking, since it was someone close to you, what could I have done to help?

Or what could have I done to do that, to prevent that?

And I think that puts a lot more passion behind the group.

Just hoping that the next person you can save, or you have the power to help someone.

- I've felt a lot of confidence in myself, being able to help someone other than just me 'cause I can't help anyone if I'm feeling down.

- The reason why I joined is because when I get older, I wanna be a counselor.

So I'm gonna have some type of experience and I wanna try to be a person where someone can come to me about their problems.

- [Jackie] What do you want people to know?

- You should check up on the people you love, even if it's just a small talk.

You never know if you're not gonna see them again.

It's just sad.

That's the reality of it.

Suicide is very like, it doesn't hurt just one person.

It can affect the community.

And it's kinda like sad how like people just don't know how to express themselves towards that.

It's just kinda pushed aside to some people.

- [Narrator 2] Several of these students traveled to Washington, D.C. earlier this year to give presentations at a national conference.

They shared their knowledge with people from around the country.

Jessica Shaffer is encouraged by the change she sees happening through these students.

- What difference has it made?

Listening to these kids talking today was like, that's the difference that they're using words that we've been teaching and one's been obviously researching.

Like throwing out stats lately and looking at stuff.

So it's been really great.

I think I need a second.

(gentle music) - [Narrator 2] There's evidence that peer support is especially helpful for adolescents who tend to seek more approval from people in their age group.

Professor Oyen sees this as an important part of a spectrum of care, but not a complete solution.

- If I'm talking to my friend and I'm feeling really suicidal, for example, that's really when we need somebody who's a highly trained professional with them.

So I see the role of a peer mentor in that space to help them get to the adult.

Because again, we know that for a lot of students that are struggling with mental health issues, they're probably gonna tell their friend first.

- [Narrator 2] Students are joining the movement to bring mental healthcare to the forefront.

Since the murders at Gitchie Manitou 50 years ago, change has happened.

Phil Hamman found some closure for his loss during the research for "Gitchie Girl."

And he watched things change for Sandra Cheskey after the book came out.

- People came and gave her hugs.

"And we prayed about you over the years, Sandra.

"We were hoping you were doing okay."

And then women would whisper into her ear, "I was sexually assaulted myself.

"You're my hero for living through that "and for now sharing your story "and how you survived all of this."

- [Narrator 2] In a follow-up book called "Gitchie Girl Uncovered," Sandra Cheskey writes, "My desire is that everyone "who hears my story will use it to spread love "and support to make our society a better place to live."

- So here's the thing I haven't been able to shake about what happened at Gitchie Manitou.

Sandra Cheskey is the same age as my mom.

She didn't grow up in a time where it was okay to talk about the bad things, but I did.

The things that happen to us as kids can shape the adults we become, but adults shape the world for kids.

They do that through the justice system, through the school system, but through their families and entire communities.

It's up to all of us.

But people like Tifanie Petro with the Children's Home Advocacy Network are helping to lead the way.

- I once worked with a six-year-old, I think he was about six years old.

And I asked him what kept him from telling?

And he said, "Nobody asked."

And it was in that moment that I was like, I hope I'm never the person that's afraid to ask.

Could we bring things to the light?

Could I be the kind of person that is willing to be uncomfortable enough to sit with somebody else in their pain?

I hope that's the kind of state that we can become.

(gentle music)