Background: The Sky Dancer Casino & Resort in Belcourt, North Dakota (Google Maps). Inset: (Rolette County Sheriff”s Office).
In a chilling incident at a casino located on a Native American reservation, a man has been charged with the harrowing crime of stabbing a woman to death. When law enforcement arrived on the scene, they reportedly found the suspect with a swollen eye and what appeared to be blood covering him.
Rigoberto Mendez-Morales, aged 58, is now facing a federal charge of second-degree murder within Indian Country. This charge arises because the alleged crime took place on land designated for Native American tribes, which falls under federal jurisdiction.
According to court documents, the victim was identified as a member of a federally recognized tribe. Meanwhile, Mendez-Morales, who is not a tribal member, is not challenging the U.S. government’s authority over the case.
The tragic incident unfolded on January 10th, when at approximately 6:07 a.m., a 911 call was placed reporting the presence of a deceased individual at the Sky Dancer Casino & Resort on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in Belcourt, North Dakota. This information is drawn from an affidavit reviewed by Law & Crime.
The 911 caller, who was later identified as Mendez-Morales himself, claimed that he had awoken to find the woman dead. Responding deputies from the Rolette County Sheriff’s Office entered the room to discover Mendez-Morales sitting on the bed. On the floor lay the woman, identified in the court documents only by the initials B.T.M., as per the account provided by an FBI agent.
Deputies with the Rolette County Sheriff’s Office responded and entered his room, finding the defendant sitting on the bed. A woman, only referred to as B.T.M. in the court filing written by an FBI agent, was on the floor.
Mendez-Morales “appeared to have blood on his clothing and face,” and he also had an apparent “injury to his right eye that was swollen and bleeding,” according to the filing. A booking photo showed the suspect with a purple and black eye swelled up to the point where it looks impossible to open.
When officers detained the defendant, they allegedly found him with a “Leatherman-type tool” – a multi-purpose product that can be used as knives or scissors.
The tool was “covered in what appeared to be blood,” and when the FBI later collected it, they found “what appeared to be long black human hairs that law enforcement observed to be consistent with B.T.M.”
Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage of the hallway outside the room, which showed that the suspect and victim “were the only two individuals who entered the room” during the hours of question.
The FBI interviewed Mendez-Morales, and, according to the affidavit, he said he “recalled gambling at the Sky Dancer” and having “consumed three wine alcoholic drinks while gambling.” However, the man allegedly “did not recall returning to his room” nor “why he had blood on his pants, shirt, and multi-tool.”
The defendant allegedly “denied touching B.T.M. when he saw she was on the floor and covered in blood” and “stated he woke up on his bed and saw B.T.M. was not moving.”
Leaders with the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa called the alleged crime “a senseless act of domestic violence” and gave condolences to the victim’s family, Fargo-based NBC affiliate KVLY reported.
It is unclear if the suspect and victim knew each other before the suspect’s January visit to the casino. Mendez-Morales faces life imprisonment if found guilty of second-degree murder.
