By Devin Fry
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A Spirit Lake Reservation man charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury has formally invoked his constitutional rights in federal court.
Eric Herbert Hunt, 28, filed a motion on November 26 in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota invoking his Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights to remain silent and to counsel.
Hunt faces federal charges for allegedly holding an 18-year-old woman in a basement for several days and beating her in a May 12 incident on the Spirit Lake Reservation.
The motion represents the latest development in the case since Hunt’s initial court appearance on November 20 in Fargo.
According to the original criminal complaint filed Nov. 18, the victim told FBI agents Hunt brought her to his basement May 8 and told her she couldn’t leave until her bruises healed. Medical records showed the victim’s left eye was swollen completely shut and she had bruising on her shoulders, arms and legs.
DNA evidence collected from a sexual assault examination confirmed male DNA was found on multiple swabs from the examination kit, according to FBI agents.
Both Hunt and the victim are enrolled members of the Spirit Lake Tribe, placing the case under federal jurisdiction for crimes committed in Indian Country.
The case remains pending in federal court.
