Airman arrested for allegedly killing missing woman on Air Force base and disposing of her body

RAPID CITY, S.D. (TCN) -- A 24-year-old U.S. Air Force airman is accused of killing a 21-year-old woman whose remains were located and positively identified months after she disappeared.

Sahela "Shy" Sangrait went missing in August after she was last known to be staying with a friend in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. She reportedly said she was returning to her home in Box Elder to get some personal items before traveling to California. However, friends and family lost contact with her and later reported her missing.

On March 4, a hiker contacted the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office and reported finding a "badly decomposed body." Forensic teams brought the remains to a lab for testing, where dental records helped investigators positively identify the body as Sangrait’s on March 12. The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office said they were investigating her death as a homicide. They did not reveal her cause of death.

Three days after Sangrait’s remains were identified, Pennington County investigators arrested Quinterius Chappelle, an active duty airman, on a charge of second-degree murder. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota took over the investigation because officials allege Chappelle killed Sangrait on the Ellsworth Air Force Base, which is government property.

The Associated Press reports Chappelle joined the Air Force in 2019 and serves in the 28th Maintenance Squadron as an aircraft inspection journeyman.

Twenty-eighth Bomb Wing commander Col. Derek Oakley said in a statement, "First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of Sahela. We hold Airmen accountable for their actions, and if service members are found in violation of military or civilian law, they will be punished."

If convicted, Chappelle could face life in prison.

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