South Dakota attorney general, who reported run-in with deer, actually 'involved' in car accident that killed a man

South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg is believed to have struck and killed a man after reporting that he had hit a deer while driving home on Saturday evening.

Gov. Kristi Noem confirmed on Sunday night that Ravnsborg was in a fatal crash over the weekend and that he was not injured during the incident. Ravnsborg said he was "shocked" to find out a body had been recovered the morning after he left an event for the Republican Party that had been held at a bar earlier in the evening.

"I am shocked and filled with sorrow following the events of last night. As Governor Noem stated, I am fully cooperating with the investigation and I fully intend to continue do so moving forward. At this time I offer my deepest sympathy and condolences to the family," Ravnsborg said in a statement.

The South Dakota Department of Public Safety announced on Monday morning that Ravnsborg had reported hitting a deer on Saturday night. Nearly 22 hours passed before the family of Joe Boever, 56, was notified that he was the victim of the incident. Boever, who lived near the scene of the incident, had been reported missing by his cousin, Victor Nemec, early Sunday morning.

Nemec told the Argus Leader that he believes Ravnsborg knew that he had killed his cousin on the night of the incident.

"The attorney general hit my cousin as he was walking down the side of the road and killed him," Nemec said.

Nemec's brother Nick, a former Democratic South Dakota state legislator, said he believes it could have taken nearly a day for officers to recover Boever's body because they were trying to protect Ravnsborg.

"My worst fear is that they’re trying to get ducks in a row to absolve the attorney general of any wrongdoing," Nick Nemec told KSFY.

"My cousin got run over by the attorney general," Nick added in a separate comment to the Rapid City Journal. "A deer doesn’t look like a human."

Ravnsborg promised to cooperate with any investigation. The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation has taken over the case to avoid any conflicts of interest with South Dakota officials.