FARGO, N.D. – Evidence in the case, including a knife with her blood and bones on it, have caused investigators to charge Joshua Hite with Isadora Wengel’s death – despite her body yet being found.
A series of searches were conducted after Hite met with police and confirmed Wengel, his girlfriend, had been living with him.
It was in that interview that Police now say, in court documents, Hite was “emotionless” and not forthcoming about their relationship and what led up to her being reported missing.
Search of garbage in Fargo dumpsters
On January 8, West Fargo Police searched garbage collected in dumpsters in the 4400 block of Calico Drive South, the location where the two had been staying together.
A Halloween costume, known to belong to Wengel, was found in the trash, along with black tie-to-close garbage bags including a plastic sheet with a red liquid substance, later to be determined to be blood with a DNA profile matching Wengel; a plastic sheet with sections taped together with black duct tape, also containing a red liquid substance determined to be blood matching Wengel’s DNA profile. Investigators also found three towels – a blue towel with long, light-colored hair and a reddish substance with an odor of cat urine; a gray towel with small, orange-colored chunks and reddish staining and an odor of cat urine; and a turquoise towel with small, orange-colored chunks and reddish staining, with an odor of cat urine.
Investigators also found a 12-inch Diablo Steel Demon Carbide blade with white, orange and reddish colored material between the teeth of the blade – the debris which had a DNA profile matching Wengel. A light blue rubber glove wrapped the end of the blade. An analysis of the debris from the blade, by UND Forensic Pathology, bone and tissue was found on the knife.
A second white garbage bag contained Styrofoam food containers, a Pringles sour cream and onion container with blood determined to match a DNA profile of Wengel, a red-colored towel wet to the touch, medical gauze with blood with Wengel’s DNA profile and a green-colored bathroom mat with blood matching the DNA profile of Wengel.
January 9 search warrant
The Red River Valley SWAT team helped police with a search warrant of Hite’s apartment and garage on January 9.
Hite was detained and requested an attorney after being read his rights.
The search warrant yielded several items, including a box of disposable gloves, gorilla tape, flap tie bags and a roll of plastic sheeting – all similar to items found a day earlier.
They also discovered a Sawzall sticker; white tissue with red stains, determined to be blood matching Hite’s DNA profile; a black tote with red lid; a putty knife and a 16 ounce tub of drywall spackle. There was also a Home Depot receipt from January 4 for a tote, Sawzall, clear plastic sheeting, trash bags, duct tape, a Carbide saw, putty knife and spackling.
Hite’s cell phone history
A digital forensic analysis of Hite’s phone found a series of Google searches between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on January 4.
The searches included queries about “home depot Sawzall,” “door dash,” and “The Home Depot (4700 17th Avenue S), delivered by DoorDash.”
He also allegedly accessed an image of a Milwaukee Sawzall tool and deleted images of Wengel off his cell phone.
Later in the afternoon, he Google searched “junk removal near me,” accessed Apple Maps and searched “Dumpster.”
His last two searches were “how to register for a legal alias.”
Initial court appearance scheduled
Hite was arrested Wednesday and is jailed at the Cass County Jail.
He will appear in Cass County District Court tomorrow (Friday) at 9 a.m. for an arraignment hearing in front of Judge Connie Cleveland.
No attorney is listed for Hite as of Thursday afternoon.
