On Sunday, January 11, 2026, at approximately 1:47 p.m., the Watertown Police Department responded to Prairie Lakes Hospital regarding a 30-year-old male who had been dropped off at the Emergency Room with a stab wound to the chest.
Officers responded to the hospital and learned the victim had sustained the injury at a residence in southwest Watertown. Medical staff determined the victim had suffered serious, life-threatening injuries.
The victim and the suspect are known to one another, and investigators believe this was an isolated incident with no ongoing threat to the public.
As a result of the investigation, Melody Harless, 27, of Watertown, was arrested and transported to the Codington County Detention Center without incident. Harless has been charged with Attempted Murder in the 1st Degree and is currently being held without bond.
The Watertown Police Department was assisted during this investigation by the Codington County Sheriff's Office and the South Dakota Highway Patrol.
Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact the Watertown Police Department.
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.