By: Devin Fry
SPIRIT LAKE RESERVATION (Valley News Live) – A 26-year-old man is being charged with second-degree murder in federal court after his brother’s remains were discovered behind their father’s home on the Spirit Lake Reservation, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday.
D’Angelo James Hunt is being charged in connection with the death of his brother, Isaac Hunt, who disappeared in March of 2024. Family members found what appeared to be a human skull on November 15, leading to the discovery of additional remains the following day.
The FBI’s Evidence Response Team recovered the remains, along with clothing and shoes consistent with what the victim was wearing when last seen in March 2024, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota.
DNA evidence links brothers to crime scene
Court documents reveal DNA evidence collected from the father’s residence linked both brothers to a violent altercation that occurred March 3, 2024. Blood found on a TV stand matched D’Angelo Hunt’s DNA profile, while blood recovered from the living room subfloor matched the victim’s DNA.
The victim’s DNA profile was 41 quintillion times more likely to be the contributor to the subfloor blood sample than an unknown, unrelated person, according to FBI laboratory analysis.
A special agent with the FBI wrote in the affidavit that carpet had been removed from the living room between early March searches and a follow-up visit on March 17, 2024. A burned carpet remnant with apparent blood stains was recovered during a search behind the residence.
Facebook videos captured final hours
Multiple witnesses reported seeing Facebook videos posted to the victim’s account in the early morning hours of March 3, 2024, showing D’Angelo Hunt pacing back and forth while holding a knife. In the videos, the victim could be heard telling Hunt to “chill out bro” and “relax,” according to witness statements.
The videos were recorded inside their father’s residence, where both brothers had been dropped off after spending time with friends earlier that evening.
Suspect gave conflicting accounts
Hunt initially told investigators in March 2024 that he and his brother “never really fought” and claimed a cut on his left hand was from an “accident.” He later admitted to an argument on March 1, 2024, saying his brother pulled a knife and cut him.
Hunt received medical treatment at Spirit Lake Health Center on March 6, 2024, for a laceration to his left hand. He told medical staff his brother had cut him with a knife on Sunday morning, March 3.
Court documents show Hunt gave conflicting accounts about when he last saw his brother and claimed to have given him $500 from a tax refund. However, financial records showed Hunt’s tax refund was not received until March 6, 2024, with no cash withdrawals totaling $500.
Federal jurisdiction applies
The case falls under federal jurisdiction because both Hunt and the victim are enrolled members of the Spirit Lake Tribe, and the alleged crime occurred on tribal land in Benson County.
Hunt is charged under Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1111 and 1153, which provide federal jurisdiction over “Indians who commit murder against another Indian in Indian country”.
The victim was reported missing by family members on March 15, 2024, nearly two weeks after he was last seen. Multiple searches by law enforcement and community members over the past year and a half had not located him.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office, Grand Forks Resident Agency. Hunt is currently in custody at the Grand Forks County Corrections Center.
