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 21-year-old Sahela Sangrait, a Native American woman who went missing in South Dakota approximately seven months ago. Chappelle made his first court appearance on Monday, with details of the case largely sealed. Authorities indicated that Sangrait was killed on Ellsworth Air Force Base, where Chappelle, stationed as an active-duty airman, serves.

Chappelle, an aircraft inspection journeyman with the 28th Maintenance Squadron, is being prosecuted in federal court and is currently held at the Pennington County Jail, with representation from the federal defender's office. There has been no public comment from his legal counsel regarding the charges. In a statement, Col. Derek Oakley, commander of the 28th Bomb Wing, expressed condolences to Sangrait’s family and emphasized the military's commitment to accountability.

Sangrait’s body was discovered on March 4 near the Pennington and Custer County lines, seven months after her disappearance on August 10. Her remains were reportedly in a state of decomposition. Originally from Box Elder, South Dakota, Sangrait was last known to be staying with a friend in Eagle Butte, intending to return to gather belongings before heading to California. It remains unclear if she ever reached her final destination.

The circumstances surrounding Sangrait's disappearance and her relationship with Chappelle have not been disclosed. Her case is part of a troubling trend, highlighted by the attorney general's missing persons database, indicating 59 cases of missing Native Americans in South Dakota, with a significant proportion being women. Task forces at both federal and state levels are working on investigating the tragic issue of missing and murdered indigenous individuals across the nation.

Attempts to get comments from the U.S. attorney's office in South Dakota and the FBI were unsuccessful, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs directed inquiries back to the investigative agencies. The case underscores the ongoing concerns regarding the safety of Native American communities and the urgent need for effective resolutions in cases of violence and disappearance.