The South Dakota State Penitentiary is seen in this photo taken Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012. Briley Piper, the only prisoner on South Dakota's death row, began speaking by phone with NCR's Camillo Barone in February 2026. (AP photo/Amber Hunt)

In Focus

Reporter's Notebook: What I learned reporting on death row, one 20-minute call at a time

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