Airman charged in killing of Native American woman who went missing 7 months ago in South Dakota

A 24-year-old airman, Quinterius Chappelle, has been charged with the second-degree murder of Sahela Sangrait, a 21-year-old Native American woman who went missing in South Dakota about seven months ago. Chappelle made his initial court appearance on Monday, with allegations stating that the murder occurred on Ellsworth Air Force Base, where he was stationed as an active-duty airman.

The court documents related to the case are currently sealed, but Chappelle is facing prosecution in federal court and is represented by the federal defender's office. He is currently held at Pennington County Jail while awaiting further legal proceedings. Chappelle has been with the 28th Maintenance Squadron at Ellsworth since April 2019, working as an aircraft inspection journeyman.

Sahela Sangrait's body was discovered by a hiker on March 4, near the borders of Pennington County and Custer County. She had been reported missing on August 10, and authorities stated that her remains were badly decomposed. Her disappearance came while she was on her way back to Box Elder to collect belongings before potentially relocating to California.

Sangrait was Native American, and her case is part of a larger issue concerning missing indigenous people in South Dakota, where there are currently 59 open cases—over half of which involve women. These statistics have prompted the formation of federal and state task forces aimed at investigating cases of missing and murdered indigenous individuals across the United States.

Officials have refrained from disclosing whether Sangrait and Chappelle knew each other, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs has referred questions to the investigating agencies. As the case unfolds, community members and leaders continue to express prayers and support for Sangrait's family, underscoring the importance of accountability in matters of violence against marginalized communities.