A U.S. infantryman who is currently on active duty was recently detained and accused of allegedly killing a Native American person on a military base.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota announced in a press release on Monday that 24-year-old Quinterius Chappelle, an active-duty U.S. serviceman stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, has been charged with second-degree crime for the death of Sahela Toka Win Sangrait, a person who has been identified as a African American.
In a statement made on Monday in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann, Chappelle admitted no guilty to a national criminal charge.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota,” Chappelle is accused of killing Sahela Toka Win Sangrait on Ellsworth Air Force Base in August 2024.” The body of Sangrait was discovered in a forested area close to Hill City, South Dakota, earlier this month.
Sangrait had been reported missing since August 10, 2024, according to the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office,” Quinterius Chappelle has been arrested on federal charges for 2nd degree murder and is being held at the Pennington County Jail.” ” Chappelle is an active-duty Airman now stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base.” Sangrait was allegedly murdered on the bottom, it has been established.
A traveler recently found a “badly degraded body” near the South Dakota border of Custer County and Pennington County, according to the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.
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U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell announced the second-degree murder charge against Chappelle, saying,” This command,  , filed just 10 days after the defendant’s remains were discovered, reflects the dogged function of federal, state, and local law enforcement professionals who easily collaborated to move down every prospect with absolute practicality and attention.”
The accused is innocent until proven guilty, according to Ramsdell, and under the criminal justice system, the facts and evidence in this case may be presented before a federal judge and jury. ” At this time, our hearts are with the murderer’s family and friends, who are now grieving the tragic demise of their loved one,” the statement read.
According to Ellsworth Air Force Base leaders, Chappelle was assigned to the 28th Maintenance Squadron and started his career as an aviation inspector rookie when he joined the Air Force in April of 2019.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Sahela’s friends and family, according to Colonel Derek Oakley, chief of the 28th Bomb Wing, in Fox News. ” We hold airmen accountable for their actions, and we punish them if they violate military or civil law.”
Chappelle is currently being held by the U.S. Marshals Service in Rapid City, South Dakota, according to Fox News.
