U.S. Airman Charged with Second-Degree Murder of Missing South Dakota Woman

Sahela Sangrait, 21, was found dead nearly seven months after her disappearance; authorities allege she was killed at Ellsworth Air Force Base

Quinterius Chappelle, a 24-year-old active-duty airman, has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Sahela Sangrait, 21.
Sangrait, a Native American woman from Box Elder, South Dakota, was reported missing on August 10, 2024, after leaving a friend's home in Eagle Butte.
Her decomposed remains were discovered by a hiker on March 4, 2025, near the Pennington-Custer county line, approximately 50 miles from Ellsworth Air Force Base.
Authorities determined Sangrait was killed on the military base where Chappelle was stationed, though the motive and their relationship remain unclear.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, with multiple local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies collaborating on the investigation.