Charges enhanced to Murder in McHenry, ND street dance death

After two weeks of follow up investigation by the North Dakota Highway Patrol and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, charges against Shannon Brandt, 41, have been enhanced from Criminal Vehicular Homicide to Murder AA in the death of Cayler Ellingson, 18, on September 18th.

Ellingson’s death occurred after a street dance in McHenry. According to Brandt he ran Ellingson down because Ellingson was a “Republican extremist.”

The Foster County States Attorney and Judge in the case had come under scrutiny for the original vehicular homicide charge and low bail amount of $50,000 which Brandt was able to make to secure his release just two days after killing Ellingson.

The Foster County States Attorney’s Office filed the enhanced charge on September 29th, and Brandt was arrested and booked into the Stutsman County Jail on September 30th where he remains.

Court records are unclear on the amount of bail Brandt is now being held on. If convicted Brandt faces up to life in prison.

Investigators have been unable to corroborate the claim by Brandt that the murder was the result of a political dispute.

“I can’t get into details about what the witnesses are describing to us. But what I can tell you is that this is not political in nature at all. There is no evidence to support Brandt’s claim on the 911 call that Mr. Ellingson was a Republican extremist. There is no evidence to support that all through our continued investigation.”

North Dakota Highway Patrol Capt. Bryan Niewind

https://www.kxnet.com/news/top-stories/explainer-why-shannon-brandt-is-charged-with-murder-of-cayler-ellingson/

https://www.kxnet.com/news/top-stories/little-evidence-of-political-argument-before-teens-death/?ipid=promo-link-block2