Sahela “Shy” Sangrait is a 21-year-old Native woman from South Dakota who went missing in August 2024. Shy’s remains were found seven months later, and an airman from Ellsworth Air Force Base has been charged with her murder.

We break down what’s known so far, the ongoing legal process, and how overlapping jurisdictions continue to delay justice for Shy — and for so many families across Indian Country.

Sources:

Ellsworth airman pleads not guilty to murder of Sahela Sangrait

U.S. airman charged with murdering woman who vanished in August : NPR

https://kbhbradio.com/court-documents-show-second-person-charged-in-murder-investigation/

https://www.newscenter1.tv/update-ellsworth-airman-arrested-in-sahela-sangrait-case

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In this episode of We Are Resilient, we remember Jadie Butterfly, an Indigenous woman who was tragically killed on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana in December 2024, at just 19 years old. Her case remains open and her family is still waiting for answers.

This is a reminder of the strength it takes to keep fighting, even when the system remains silent.

Sources:

https://montanafreepress.org/2025/05/05/on-mmip-day-of-awareness-blackfeet-father-demands-justice/

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Dzayoq2wp/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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**Listener Request**

In 1972, 20-year-old Jeannette Kamahele disappeared while hitchhiking near the Cotati onramp of Highway 101 in Santa Rosa, California. Last seen getting into a faded brown pickup truck, she was never heard from again. Though often linked to the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders, Jeannette’s case stands apart as she is the only presumed victim never found.

This episode is part of our Lost Coast series, highlighting MMIP cases across Northern California. These are the places where Indigenous women have gone missing, and where silence has often followed. Today, we focus on Jeannette, not just what was taken from her, but what justice still demands.

Sources:

https://oag.ca.gov/missing/person/jeanette-kamahele-0

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/santa-rosa-hitchhiker-murders/

https://www.santarosahitchhikermurders.com/articles.php

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Rosa_hitchhiker_murders

https://charleyproject.org/case/jeannette-kamahele

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