Active-duty US airman charged in killing of missing woman on South Dakota military base
An active-duty airman stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota has been arrested on federal charges for the alleged murder of a missing Native American woman on the military base. Quinterius Chappelle, 24, is facing second-degree murder charges in the death of 21-year-old Sahela Toka Win Sangrait.
Sangrait, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, was reported missing in August 2024 and her remains were found earlier this month in a wooded area near the Pennington and Custer County line. The body was badly decomposed and did not initially have any identifying information available. The cause of death has not yet been released.
Authorities have determined that Sangrait was murdered on the base sometime in August 2024. Chappelle, who is an aircraft inspection journeyman with the 28th Maintenance Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base, entered the service in April 2019. His disciplinary history, if any, is protected by the Privacy Act of 1974.
Col. Derek Oakley, 28th Bomb Wing commander, expressed condolences to Sangrait’s family and stated that Airmen are held accountable for their actions. He assured that if service members are found in violation of military or civilian law, they will be punished. The base is working closely with area law enforcement agencies as the investigation continues.
Chappelle appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann and pleaded not guilty to the federal criminal complaint. He is currently being held by the U.S. Marshals Service at the Pennington County Jail in Rapid City, South Dakota. A trial date has not yet been set.
U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota, Alison Ramsdell, commended the collaborative efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement in swiftly bringing charges against Chappelle. She emphasized that the defendant is innocent until proven guilty and that the facts and evidence in the case will be litigated before a federal judge and jury.
Multiple agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Rapid City Police Department, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, assisted in the investigation. The FBI and the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations did not immediately respond to inquiries.
The tragic death of Sahela Toka Win Sangrait has left her family and friends grieving, after months of searching for answers. The victim’s family is being supported by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit’s Victim Services Program as they seek justice for their loved one.
