Overview
- Joshua Alexander Hite, 21, was arrested Feb. 10 on charges of murder, tampering with evidence and providing false information, and a judge set his bail at $5 million cash only at a Feb. 13 hearing.
- Charging documents say lab tests found Wengel’s DNA on blood-stained plastic sheeting and on a 12-inch saw blade that also bore fragments described as human bone and skeletal muscle.
- Fargo’s police chief said investigators do not believe Wengel is alive and indicated dismemberment may have occurred with disposal carried out in severe winter conditions.
- Authorities are asking residents from the Fargo–Moorhead area to Otter Tail County, Minnesota — including Fergus Falls, Battle Lake, Underwood and Elizabeth — to look for a 27-gallon black tote with a red lid.
- Investigators detailed a probe that included Hite’s Jan. 9 detention and release for lack of probable cause, multiple search warrants, a 10-day landfill search, and ongoing assistance from the FBI, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for March.