Watertown woman sentenced to three years in prison for shooting husband

December 22, 2021
Mike Tanner

WATERTOWN, S.D.–A Watertown woman who shot her husband during an alcohol-fueled argument has been sentenced to three years in the South Dakota Penitentiary.

Sixty five year-old Sherri Tormanen pled guilty to Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. In exchange for that plea, prosecutors dropped charges of First-Degree Attempted Murder.

Watertown police were called to the Tormanen home on August 4th, where Sherri Tormanen had shot her husband Randy Tormanen in the face. 

He was taken to Prairie Lakes Hospital and later airlifted to a Sioux Falls hospital for advanced medical treatment, but survived the shooting. 

At today’s sentencing, Codington County Deputy State’s Attorney Alison Bakken requested a seven year sentence, calling it a, “bizarre case with tragic circumstances.”

Defense attorney Mitch Koehn said his client has a history of alcohol abuse and mental health issues, and that shooting her husband will be, “the biggest regret she’ll have in her life.”

Sherri Tormanen apologized in court for, “everybody I’ve hurt and disappointed.”

Judge Carmen Means called today’s sentencing decision, “one of the most difficult decisions I’ve faced as a circuit court judge.”

Prior to handing down the sentence, Judge Means said the shooting should serve as a, “drastic wake up call” for the defendant, and that the shooting left Randy Tormanen a, “mere inch or two from being dead.”

Judge Means sentenced Sherri Tormanen to eight years in the State Penitentiary with five years suspended. She was given credit for 141 days spent in jail.

Randy Tormanen had a front row seat in court for today’s proceedings, but he declined the opportunity to speak prior to his wife being sentenced.