South Dakota spending, because of the proximity of many tourist attractions in the Black Hills and Ellsworth Air Force Base. The next eight largest cities in the state, in order of descending 2010 population, are Aberdeen (26,091), Brookings (22,056), Watertown (21,482), Mitchell (15,254), Yankton (14,454), Pierre (13,646), Huron (12,592), and Vermillion (10,571). Pierre is the state capital, and Brookings and Vermillion are the locations of the state's two largest universities (South Dakota State University and University of South Dakota, respectively). With a population of about 14,000, Pierre is the second smallest state capital in the United States. Of the ten largest cities
Capital punishment in South Dakota death (there is no retrial). The governor has the power of clemency with respect to death sentences. Death row is located in Sioux Falls. Lethal injection is the only method of execution provided by statutes. First-degree murder is a Class A Felony in South Dakota, punishable by death or life imprisonment. It is the only Class A Felony in the state. It is only punishable by death if it involves any of the following aggravating factors: South Dakota executed four men between 1877 and its admission to the union in 1889, and 10 men between that time and the abolition