South Dakota law enforcement has arrested Kinteus Chapelle, a 24-year-old active member of the U.S. Air Force stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, on federal charges of second-degree murder in the death of Sahera Sangreite, a 21-year-old Native American woman who had been missing since last summer. Sangreite’s body was discovered in March by a hiker near Hill City, about 40 miles from the base. Details regarding the timeline of the murder or any prior relationship between Chapelle and Sangreite remain unclear.
The case highlights broader issues of violence against Native Americans, particularly women, as statistics reveal disproportionately high rates of murder and violence in this community. Nearly 60% of South Dakota’s missing person cases involve indigenous individuals, underscoring the ongoing concerns surrounding these issues. Chapelle, who works as an aircraft inspector and joined the Air Force in 2019, is currently held at the Pennington County Jail as federal prosecutors prepare to file charges against him.
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