Hiker Finds Body of Woman, 21, Missing Since August in South Dakota

A hiker in South Dakota found the body of a 21-year-old woman who went missing back in August 2024.

On Wednesday, March 12, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) announced on social media that authorities identified the remains of Sahela Sangrait, a Box Elder woman who was first reported missing on Aug. 10.

The identification comes a week after a hiker made a call about a “badly decomposed body” on the afternoon of March 4. PCSO officers were dispatched to an area south of Hill City — near the line of both Pennington and Custer counties — later in the day.

At the time, the remains “did not have any identifying information available,” the PCSO wrote on Facebook and Instagram.

In a March 6 update, the PCSO said it was in contact with a local forensic dentist and had conducted an autopsy, before sharing in its latest note that it has notified Sangrait’s family.

The case is now being investigated as a homicide, the PCSO said.

According to a post on the South Dakota Missing Persons Alerts Facebook page, as initially reported by ABC affiliate KOTA-TV, Sangrait was last believed to be staying with a friend in Eagle Butte.

She “left stating that she would be traveling to Box Elder to get some of her things” ahead of a trip to California, and there had been “zero contact” since, per a missing persons flyer.

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An administrator for the group updated the community about Sangrait’s death earlier in the week, writing that the 21-year-old was “found an angel.” They also shared their condolences with her family and friends, who “never stopped trying to get answers for Shy.”

“I know she will be watching over you, the most beautiful angel,” the message read. “I’m praying you are able to find comfort in the memories you have made with Shy in the time you had.”

The PCSO did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional information on Saturday, March 15.

Authorities are encouraging anyone with “pertinent information” to contact investigator Jorge Salas.

The PCSO is investigating alongside the Rapid City Police Department and “multiple local, state and federal law enforcement agencies,” including the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit.