Airman Accused of Killing Woman Missing Since August

A US airman has been charged with the murder of a South Dakota woman whose remains were found earlier this month, nearly seven months after she vanished. Sahela Sangrait, 21, lived in Box Elder, near Ellsworth Air Force Base, but she was last known to be staying with a friend in Eagle Butte, 150 miles away, CBS News reports. She left with a plan to head to California after first stopping in her hometown to pick up some of her things, but she was not heard from again and was reported missing Aug. 10. A hiker found her decomposing remains on March 4, and authorities later determined she'd been killed on the Air Force base, ABC News reports.

Quinterius Chappelle, 24, an aircraft inspection journeyman who entered the service in 2019, was arrested Friday and charged with Sangrait's murder. It's not clear how or if he knew Sangrait, the New York Times reports. "First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of Sahela," said the Ellsworth Air Force commander in a statement. "We hold airmen accountable for their actions, and if service members are found in violation of military or civilian law, they will be punished." Sangrait's body was found almost 40 miles away from the base. She was indigenous; in South Dakota, 60% of missing persons cases are indigenous people. (More South Dakota stories.)