Amelia Schafer
ICT
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. — Sahela Sangrait’s family, friends and community aren’t done demanding justice for her.
Roughly one dozen community members gathered outside the Ellsworth Air Force Base in 30-degree weather and snowfall to demand accountability and transparency on April 17.
Federal prosecutors have charged United States Airman Quinterius Chappelle with first-degree murder in the 2024 homicide of Sahela “Toka Win” Sangrait, who was Mnicoujou Lakota. Prosecutors believe the crime took place at Chappelle’s residence in the Air Force Base.
The Ellsworth Air Force Base located in western South Dakota is a key Global Strike Command Base. The base houses the 28th Bomb Wing and its fleet of B-1B Lancers. Credit: Amelia Schafer/ICT
Sangrait’s remains were found on March 4, 2025 in a remote area near Black Elks Peak in the Black Hills National Forest. Black Elks Peak, also known as*Hiŋháŋ Káǧa or Heȟáka Sápa**,*is significant to the Lakota people. Sangrait was found under a distinct coffee table which law enforcement traced to a matching set in Chappelle’s residence.
Officials classified Sangrait’s cause of death as a homicide following an autopsy, according to federal documents.
Chappelle was charged with first-degree murder on March 17, 2025. He has since pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
“There’s this lack of transparency,” said Darlene Gomez, an attorney representing Sangrait’s family. “We’ve seen a whole slew of women being killed and their families have to seek that justice because the federal government is not going to seek that.”
The protest, organized by local Missing and Murdered Indigenous People’s advocacy organization, the Medicine Wheel Ride, was done in an effort to demand transparency and communication from the base. Advocates say the air base could have prevented this crime.
“We’re being left unheard and nobody wants to take the time to listen to us,” said Rhamie Light Bone, a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe who participated in the protest.
Light Bone said she did not know Sangrait personally but felt called to the event to help stand up disproportionate levels of against violence against Indigenous women nationwide.
“I want her voice to be heard because she cannot speak for herself,” Light Bone said.
Family demands justice, accountability for Lakota woman killed on South Dakota Air Force
What happened
The night of Sangrait’s homicide, Box Elder law enforcement officials responded to reports of a domestic dispute at Chappelle’s residence on the base at 8 p.m. local time. Law enforcement left the property without contacting anyone inside of the residence.
Sangrait’s friends and family attempted to report her missing on Aug. 11, 2024 and again in January 2025, but Box Elder Police did not officially report her missing until Feb. 10, 2025, when her sister called a second time.
Air Force base security responded to the Aug. 10 call and were able to speak with the neighbors who had reported the disturbance, according to federal documents. Ring doorbell camera footage showed Chappelle had exited his residence prior to police arrival.
Gate records indicate Chappelle arrived back at the Air Force base at 02:14 a.m. local time on Aug. 11, 2024.
Air Force supervisors required Chappelle to report to Rapid City Police on August 12, 2024, when he arrived at work with scratch marks on his face. Chappelle reported he had been “jumped” at 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 11, a time inconsistent with when he arrived at the base. The police told Chappelle they could investigate it but he declined.
Lorna Cuny (left) founder of the Medicine Wheel Ride and attorney Darlene Gomez (right) attended the April 17 demonstration for Sahela Sangrait outside the Ellsworth Air Force Base in Box Elder, South Dakota. Credit: Amelia Schafer/ICT
Before the homicide, several Airmen sought protection orders against Chapelle claiming he made threats to shoot up the Air Force base, according to federal court documents. An internal investigation revealed an alleged “hit list” made by Chapelle listing fellow Airmen and supervisors.
Chappelle was involved in a separate domestic violence case handled internally by Air Force authorities. He was charged in February 2024, according to Jesse Fagerland, a sergeant with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. In November 2024, Chappelle was convicted of aggravated assault via strangulation against a different romantic partner.
Fagerland testified during Chappelle’s March 28 arraignment in the Sangrait case.
Community members worry that Box Elder law enforcement officials were not aware of domestic violence charges made within the base against Chappelle, and if they were, they could have responded differently.
“I do have a lot of questions because it appears that there were a lot of steps missing and inconsistent with police policies,” Gomez said, the Sangrait family’s attorney. “The fact that Quinterius already had a history of domestic violence and strangulation and in this case was pending some type of Court Martial and was out and about doing his thing.”
Sangrait’s autopsy report completed on March 10, 2025, indicated three separate sets of DNA under Sangrait’s fingernails, one set of female DNA and two sets of male. Drew Durand, 25 years old of Box Elder, has since been charged with accessory after the fact and misprision of a felony in connection with Sangrait’s homicide. Gomez said she wants to know why the other man has yet to be charged.
Mason Isaac Bond, a 27-year-old male from Rapid City, is a suspect in Sangrait’s homicide, according to federal documents. Bond has not been charged in connection to her death.
Chappelle placed a phone call to Bond at 1:09 a.m. on Aug. 11, but Bond did not pick up the call. That same day at 3:05 p.m., Chappelle again called Bond who this time picked up. The two spoke for approximately 12 minutes, according to court documents. The two did not call again after this.
A search warrant revealed the two exchanged text messages on Aug. 11, 202, and that Bond and Durand had communicated about Chappelle that day.
Rhamie Light Bone and her husband stand outside the Ellsworth Air Force Base to demand transparency in the 2024 homicide of Cheyenne River Lakota woman Sahela Sangrait. Credit: Amelia Schafer/ICT
Chappelle had texted Bond, “something to the effect of a woman not being able to blackmail him any longer,” according to Jesse Fagerland, a sergeant with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office who testified during Chappelle’s arraignment in March 2025. Fagerland said the text was sent in August, but did not specify what day.
“I haven’t seen any kind of follow up [on Bond],” Gomez said. “It feels like no one has followed up with [the lead] according to the documents filed.”
A 12-person federal jury trial is scheduled May 26 for Durand.
Chappelle’s trial which was previously scheduled for the same date has since been postponed with no new trial date set.
Community members gathered outside the Ellsworth Air Force Base to demand transparency from the Air Force in the 2024 homicide of Cheyenne River Lakota woman Sahela Sangrait. Credit: Amelia Schafer/ICT
Gomez said the family plans to file a TORT claim, a civil legal action which seeks monetary compensation for injuries, damages or losses caused by another party’s wrongful act. Federal TORT claims allow for citizens to sue the United States Government for personal injury, property damage or wrongful death. Gomez did not say who the claim would be against.
Sangrait’s funeral services are scheduled for the night of April 17 in Rapid City, South Dakota, at Woyatan Lutheran Church.
“The more people that know Sahela’s story, the less likely she is to be forgotten,” Gomez said.
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