A South Dakota active-duty airman was arrested on federal charges after authorities say he allegedly murdered a missing Native American woman on a military base.
Quinterius Chappelle, 24, an Airman Basic stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 21-year-old Sahela Toka Win Sangrait.
Chappelle appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann on Monday and pleaded not guilty to a federal criminal complaint.
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Authorities determined that Sangrait, who was reported missing on Aug. 10, 2024, “was murdered on the base sometime in August 2024.”
However, her remains were found earlier this month in a wooded area near the Pennington and Custer County line.
A hiker in the area discovered a “badly decomposed” body, which was later learned to be the Box Elder woman, and called deputies, according to a statement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.
The body did not have any “identifying information available,” the agency said. The cause of death has not yet been released.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU), which assisted in the investigation, confirmed to Fox News Digital that Sangrait was a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.
The MMU’s Victim Services Program is assisting the family as the investigation continues, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Chappelle is assigned to the 28th Maintenance Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base, where he is an aircraft inspection journeyman, Ellsworth AFB officials told Fox News Digital. He entered the service on April 30, 2019.
His disciplinary history, if in existence, is protected by the Privacy Act of 1974.
“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of Sahela,” Col. Derek Oakley, 28th Bomb Wing commander, wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We hold Airmen accountable for their actions, and if service members are found in violation of military or civilian law, they will be punished.
“We are working closely with the area law enforcement agencies.”
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Chappelle is being held by the U.S. Marshals Service at the Pennington County Jail in Rapid City, South Dakota. A trial date has not been set.
“This charge, filed just 10 days after the victim’s remains were discovered, reflects the dogged work of federal, state, and local law enforcement professionals who seamlessly collaborated to run down every lead with absolute expediency and care,” said Alison Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. “Under the criminal justice system, this charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is innocent until proven guilty; the facts and evidence in this case will be litigated before a federal judge and jury. At this time, our hearts are with the victim’s family and friends, who, after many agonizing months of searching for answers, are now grieving the tragic death of their loved one.”
Other agencies that assisted with the case include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Rapid City Police Department and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.
FBI Minneapolis and the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital.
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