Airman Charged with Murder in the Death of Missing Native American Woman

In a tragic case that has drawn attention to the alarming rates of missing and murdered Indigenous people, Quinterius Chappelle, a 24-year-old active-duty Airman stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the death of Sahela Sangrait, a 21-year-old Native American woman who had been missing since August 2024.

The Disappearance and Discovery of Sahela Sangrait

Sangrait, a resident of Box Elder, South Dakota, was last seen on August 10, 2024. She had been staying with a friend in Eagle Butte and was on her way to Box Elder to collect some belongings before planning to travel to California.

After her disappearance, her family became increasingly worried when they lost contact with her. Despite extensive efforts to locate her, including a missing persons report, Sangrait’s whereabouts remained unknown for several months.

On March 4, 2025, her body was discovered by a hiker near the Pennington County and Custer County lines, roughly seven months after she was reported missing.

The remains were badly decomposed, and the cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.

Authorities confirmed that the murder occurred on the Ellsworth Air Force Base, where Chappelle was stationed, and that the case is now being handled by the US Attorney’s Office.

The Arrest of Airman Quinterius Chappelle

Chappelle, who joined the military in April 2019, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder following an investigation into Sangrait’s death. Chappelle, assigned as an aircraft inspection journeyman with the 28th Maintenance Squadron at Ellsworth, appeared in court for his first hearing, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

If convicted, Chappelle faces a potential life sentence in prison.

The US Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case, and Chappelle is currently being held at the Pennington County Jail.

Military officials, including Ellsworth’s 28th Bomb Wing Commander, Col. Derek Oakley, have expressed their condolences to Sangrait’s family and emphasized that the military will hold service members accountable for any violations of civilian or military law.

“This charge, filed just ten 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, US Attorney for the District of South Dakota, in a press release posted March 17.

The base is cooperating with law enforcement officials as the case progresses.

Sangrait’s tragic death highlights a larger, deeply troubling issue— the disproportionate rates at which Native American women and individuals go missing or are murdered, especially in South Dakota.

According to the state’s attorney general’s missing persons database, there are currently 59 cases of missing Native Americans in South Dakota, with more than half of these cases involving women.

The case has drawn comparisons to the 2020 murder of Army Spc. Vanessa Guillén, who was killed at Fort Hood in Texas, sparking a broader conversation about the safety of military personnel and the need for greater accountability in military institutions.

Federal and state task forces have been established to investigate cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people, a response to the growing concern that these cases are not always given the attention they deserve.

Advocates have called for further investigation and action to address the systemic issues surrounding these disappearances, urging law enforcement agencies to dedicate more resources to solving cases involving Indigenous victims.

The Legal Process and Ongoing Investigation

Chappelle’s legal representation is being handled by the federal defender’s office, though details about his defense have not been disclosed.

Legal experts note that it is uncommon for military prosecutors to handle homicide cases due to their rarity, which is why the US Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case instead. This is seen as a positive step in ensuring that the case is handled by experienced professionals capable of managing complex criminal cases.

The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Sangrait’s death, and authorities have urged anyone with further information to come forward.

Despite the arrest, many questions remain unanswered, including whether Chappelle knew Sangrait personally and what led to the tragic incident on the base.