An airman stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota has been indicted on a charge of First Degree Murder by a federal grand jury, according to U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. The indictment was returned in Rapid City. Quinterius Charles Chappelle, 24, was charged in connection with the killing of Sahela Toka Win Sangrait on the base in August 2024. Her body was discovered last month in a wooded area near Hill City, South Dakota.
Chappelle pled not guilty to the charge during an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann on March 28, 2025. The charge carries potential penalties including life imprisonment or the death penalty, a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and a $100 contribution to the Federal Crime Victims Fund per count. Restitution may also be ordered.
The prosecution asserts that Chappelle acted with premeditation. "The federal grand jury in Rapid City recently returned a charge of First Degree Murder against Quinterius Chappelle, alleging he killed the victim with premeditation," stated the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota, indicating that the prosecution intends to "relentlessly pursue justice on behalf of the victim."
A request by Chappelle for release pending trial was denied, as the court sided with the government's motion for detention. He remains in custody under the U.S. Marshals Service. A trial date has not yet been determined.
The investigation involves multiple agencies including the FBI, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paige Petersen and Benjamin Schroeder.