To the people of Whitewood,
I want to speak from the heart for a moment, not as someone who went through something hard, but as someone who was born and raised right here.
Whitewood isn’t just a dot on a map to me. It’s where I grew up. It’s where my family is. It’s where my story began.
So when all of this with my false imprisonment is finally made right — and the State of South Dakota settles what they owe — I’m not planning to leave, hide, or distance myself.
I’m coming home. And when I do, I’m buying everyone over 21 a drink.
Not to brag. Not to make a point. But because that’s what folks from Whitewood do.
We take care of our neighbors. We show up. We shake hands, even after long storms. We remember where we come from.
I’ve had my share of battles, that’s true. But my heart has never left this town.
Whitewood raised me. Whitewood shaped me. Whitewood gave me my people, my history, and my strength.
So when the day comes and justice finally lands where it should, I want to stand in the same bars, the same streets, the same places that shaped me — with the people who know what small-town South Dakota really means.
No hard feelings. No grudges. Just a community coming together again.
So here’s my promise:
When this is all over, the first round is on me. For old friends, new friends, and everyone who still calls Whitewood home — just like I do.