By: Devin Fry
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A 58-year-old man is now facing federal second-degree murder charges after a woman was stabbed to death at the SkyDancer Casino on the Turtle Mountain Reservation earlier this month.
Rigoberto Mendez-Morales of Mandaree was charged in federal court Tuesday with second-degree murder within Indian Country, according to court documents filed in U.S. District Court.
Federal court documents reveal new details about the Jan. 10 homicide. According to an FBI affidavit, Mendez-Morales called 911 around 6:07 a.m. that morning, telling dispatchers he woke up and found a woman dead in his hotel room.
When Rolette County Sheriff’s deputies arrived, they found Mendez-Morales sitting on the bed with blood on his clothing and face. The victim, identified in court documents only as B.T.M., was on the floor covered in blood. She was not responding and appeared to have been stabbed several times, according to the affidavit.
Deputies noted the victim was cool to the touch and had no pulse.
The FBI affidavit states Mendez-Morales had a bloody Leatherman multi-tool in his possession when he was detained. The knife blade had what appeared to be blood and long black human hairs consistent with the victim’s, according to investigators.
Security camera footage from the casino showed only Mendez-Morales and the victim entered the hotel room from the early morning hours until law enforcement arrived, federal court documents state.
When interviewed by the FBI, Mendez-Morales said he recalled gambling at the casino and drinking three alcoholic wine drinks. He told investigators he could not recall returning to his room or why he had blood on his pants, shirt, and multi-tool. Mendez-Morales denied touching the victim when he saw her on the floor, according to the affidavit.
The victim was an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, federal court documents show. Her identity has not been publicly released.
Leadership with the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa previously called the incident “a senseless act of domestic violence” and offered condolences to the victim’s family.
The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Mendez-Morales faces life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder.
