A United States Air Force airman has been arrested in connection with the murder of Sahela Sangrait, a 21-year-old woman who went missing in South Dakota last year.
After nearly seven months of searching, a hiker discovered her decomposed remains in early March, according to the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.
This tragic discovery has led authorities to charge Quinterius Chappelle, an active-duty airman at Ellsworth Air Force Base, with second-degree murder.
Investigation Reveals Disturbing Details
Authorities confirmed that Sangrait was killed on the military base, located near Box Elder, the town where she lived. After her remains were found, investigators traced her last known movements, eventually leading them to Chappelle. The accused is currently in custody at the Pennington County Jail, awaiting federal prosecution under the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Chappelle, who has served in the U.S. Air Force since 2019, was working as an aircraft inspection journeyman with the 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. Officials from Ellsworth Air Force Base have not yet provided a formal statement regarding his arrest.
The Case Highlights a Disturbing Trend
Sangrait was reported missing on August 10, with her last known location being Eagle Butte, a town on the Cheyenne River Reservation, about 150 miles northeast of Ellsworth Air Force Base. She had planned to travel to Box Elder to collect belongings before heading to California, but after leaving, she was never heard from again.
The case has once again drawn attention to the crisis of violence against Native American women. According to the National Crime Information Center, over 5,700 Native American women and girls were reported missing in 2016 alone.
Despite efforts to address this crisis, the Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates that over 4,200 cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people remain unsolved. In South Dakota, dozens of Indigenous women are currently missing, according to the state’s official missing persons database.
As this case moves forward, it serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by Native American women and the urgent need for stronger protections and investigative efforts.
