Airman from the United States charged with murdering woman who disappeared in South Dakota in August

Quinterius Chappelle, a 24-year-old airman stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the killing of 21-year-old Sahela Sangrait, whose badly decomposed body was found months after she disappeared in 2020. It is unclear what the relationship between Chappelle and Sangrait was, and the Air Force has not commented on the case. Chappelle, who entered the service in April 2019 and was an aircraft inspection journeyman, is currently being held in the Pennington County Jail without bond. The U.S. attorney’s office for South Dakota will prosecute the case, which involves multiple law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and local police departments. Sangrait, a Native American, was last seen staying with a friend in Eagle Butte before disappearing on her way to Box Elder. The investigation into her murder is ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI. Ellsworth’s commander, Col. Derek Oakley, stated that airmen are held accountable for their actions, and those found in violation of the law will be punished. The case has been described as a successful collaboration between various law enforcement agencies.