North Dakota
Furnace calls, life insurance highlight testimony in North Dakota murder conspiracy trial
BISMARCK — Jurors on Friday, Sept. 30, noticed time-stamped surveillance digicam video of a person and lady getting into and leaving a Bismarck resort and a house northeast of the town on the day authorities say the 2 carried out a plan to kill Chad Entzel.
Entzel’s spouse, Nikki, 41, and Earl Howard, 43, a person with twin citizenship within the U.S. and Canada, have been accused in early 2020 of plotting his loss of life and trying to cowl it up by a number of means together with beginning fires within the Entzel dwelling’s furnace room and bed room.
Chad Entzel, 42, was shot twice with a shotgun and died of his wounds within the bed room, in keeping with Dr. William Massello, who was the state medical expert in 2020.
Authorities say Nikki Entzel and Howard have been having an affair, with plans to money in on insurance coverage. They have been charged with three conspiracy felonies: homicide, arson and proof tampering.
Howard a few 12 months in the past pleaded responsible underneath a take care of prosecutors and was sentenced to serve 25 years in jail.
Matthew Heinz of Dickinson, Nikki Entzel’s brother, testified Friday in her trial that it appeared his sister was “fairly shut” to being moved out of the house when he visited her resort room the day Chad Entzel’s physique was discovered on Jan. 2, 2020, by emergency crews who responded to the home fires. Nikki Entzel informed him the following day that she had insurance policy in place, and Heinz testified that he informed her to inform the businesses dealing with the insurance policies.
Heinz stated he and his sister received alongside “OK” however didn’t see one another typically. He met Earl Howard a few month earlier than Chad Entzel’s loss of life, when Nikki and Howard went to Dickinson to drop off Christmas presents for Heinz’s youngsters. Nikki Entzel sat subsequent to Howard after they left, which Heinz stated upset him “as a result of she was married, and to not him.”
Authorities say Nikki Entzel was staying within the resort room with Howard on the time of her husband’s loss of life. Surveillance video confirmed them on the home within the hours main as much as his loss of life, in keeping with earlier trial testimony. Investigators keep Nikki Entzel thought she had disabled the video surveillance on the dwelling, however that her efforts had failed.
Nikki Entzel informed investigators that she was uninterested in residing in a home that was having furnace issues in the course of winter.
Technicians from two furnace restore corporations testified Friday that in service calls to the house within the weeks earlier than Chad Entzel’s loss of life, they discovered no points or solely minor ones with the house’s heating system. Anthony Ortega with H.A. Thompson and Sons in Bismarck stated that in one name he discovered no fuel was attending to the furnace as a result of somebody had turned off the valve on the tank.
Burleigh County State’s Lawyer Julie Lawyer in her opening assertion to the jury on Tuesday stated Nikki Entzel within the days after her husband’s loss of life inquired with an insurance coverage firm about widow advantages and claims to renter and life insurance coverage insurance policies. The renter coverage was just a few days outdated and value as much as $31,000, the prosecutor stated.
Nikki Entzel inquired about life insurance coverage advantages by her husband’s employer the day after his physique was discovered, Interstate Energy Co. Advantages Specialist Heather Schwartz testified Friday. No advantages from the corporate’s fundamental life coverage, which Schwartz stated was price between $113,000 and $120,000, have been paid.
Jurors on Thursday heard testimony associated to the 2 fires within the Entzel dwelling.
A portion of a cigarette bundle discovered on the murder scene matched the model present in Howard’s pickup, and was a doable ignition supply for a furnace hearth, in keeping with state Bureau of Felony Investigation Particular Agent Michael Mees.
One other hearth was within the bed room the place Chad Entzel’s physique was discovered. Mandan Fireplace Division Battalion Chief Shane Weltikol testified Thursday {that a} canine skilled to detect hearth accelerants signaled that the substances have been current on the mattress subsequent to the physique, which was on the bed room flooring. Weltikol is the canine’s handler.
Former Deputy State Fireplace Marshal Levi Roline testified that the 2 fires have been set individually.
Jurors Thursday additionally heard testimony associated to Nikki Entzel’s claims that her husband drank closely and abused her. Pals, co-workers and Chad Entzel’s former spouse, Susan Entzel, disputed that, describing him as a nonviolent man and a social drinker.
The jury earlier within the week watched an hours-long videotaped interview that then-Deputy Burleigh County Sheriff Aaron Silbernagel and state Bureau of Felony Investigation Particular Agent Joe Arenz carried out with Nikki Entzel in January 2020.
The investigators bit-by-bit revealed data to her they stated proved she was mendacity, and the backwards and forwards ended with Nikki Entzel telling them she felt a type of reduction that her husband was lifeless.
She additionally maintained that Howard shot and killed her husband. Authorities have stated that an analysis of the gun didn’t conclude who pulled the set off.
Nikki Entzel might face life in jail if convicted. Friday was the fifth day of her trial, which is scheduled for 2 weeks. Twelve jurors in the end will resolve her destiny.
Lawyer informed South Central District Choose Douglas Bahr she expects to complete her case late Monday or early Tuesday. Protection lawyer Thomas Glass in the beginning of the trial reserved his opening assertion till he offered his case.
North Dakota
Bankruptcies for North Dakota and western Minnesota published Jan. 11, 2025
Filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court
North Dakota
Cherie A. Paulin and Rafael Paulin Gordillo, doing business as North Plains Repair, Grand Forks, Chapter 13
Sarah E. Benson, Grand Forks, Chapter 7
Kelly Edward Leidholm, Garrison, Chapter 7
Susan Lorraine Hauck, Dodge, Chapter 7
Minnesota
Bankruptcy filings from the following counties: Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Mahnomen, Norman, Otter Tail, Polk, Traverse, Wadena and Wilkin.
Ariana Barbara Kay Krecklau, formerly known as Ariana Kimble, and Taylor Jacob Krecklau, Moorhead, Chapter 7
Jay William and Ashley Carol Dunbar, Verndale, Chapter 7
Gene Michael and Stacey Lynn Berglund, East Grand Forks, Chapter 7
Micah David Gorder, Frazee, Chapter 7
Paul Monroe and Mikel Lee Sire, Moorhead, Chapter 7
Chapter 7 is a petition to liquidate assets and discharge debts.
Chapter 11 is a petition for protection from creditors and to reorganize.
Chapter 12 is a petition for family farmers to reorganize.
Chapter 13 is a petition for wage earners to readjust debts.
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
North Dakota
Hawks stumble late against Oral Roberts – University of North Dakota Athletics
TULSA, Okla. – North Dakota men’s basketball was unable to finish off Oral Roberts on Saturday night inside the Mabee Center as the Summit League contest, which saw ten tied scores and seven lead changes, went the way of the Golden Eagles as a late three by Issac McBride, just the fourth by the host all night, cushioned ORU’s advantage in the final seconds with the host winning 83-79.
Sophomore Mier Panoam scored inside to pull UND to within one at 78-77 and then denied a driving attempt by McBride two possessions later with 58 seconds to play, but the latter would net a cushion triple following an empty opportunity from the Hawks.
Three pointers by senior Deng Mayar and a pair from junior Dariyus Woodson aided the Hawks in taking a 53-50 lead as the second half clock neared the 15-minute mark, but the Golden Eagles dominated inside with 50 total paint points and missed just twice inside in the final eight minutes of action after tying the contest at 65.
North Dakota led by as much as nine points in the first half which saw the Hawks hit four early three-pointers kickstarted by a far wing trifecta from Amar Kuljuhovic who led UND with a dozen points in the first twenty minutes. After a handful of made three-pointers, the Hawks struggled going 1-for-8 the rest of the way in the first half. ORU controlled the paint with two dozen points which aided the Golden Eagles’ 59.3% shooting clip in 27 attempts from the floor in the first half.
The Hawks led for over 18 minutes in the opening half of action, but a scoreless stretch in the half’s final 2:11 and a 9-2 ORU run over the 3:12 sent the host into the intermission with the advantage.
North Dakota prepares for a Thursday night matchup in Brookings against South Dakota State, before playing host to Kansas City on Saturday. The Hawks and the Jackrabbits tip off at 7 p.m. on January 16 from inside First Bank & Trust Arena. The action can be seen on Midco Sports and the Summit League Network. Fans can follow the action live with Fighting Hawks men’s basketball radio play-by-play voice Paul Ralston on KSNR 100.3 FM The Cat or on the iHeart Radio app. Live stats for the contest will be available at www.FightingHawks.com.
Postgame Notes
- Kuljuhovic led UND with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting with six rebounds and two assists
- Treysen Eaglestaff followed with 15 points and Panoam added 13
- Eaglestaff led with five assists and Panoam matched Kuljuhovic in boards with six
- UND’s 15 offensive rebounds marks the 18th straight game with 12+ such boards
- UND’s 14 defensive rebounds are a season low
- The Hawks committed just eight turnovers and have committed less than ten in five of their past six games
- UND finished at +12 in points off of turnovers
- North Dakota was unable to absorb 28 points from McBride and 26 points from JoJo Moore
- ORU shot an opponent-best 60.8% from the floor
- The Eagles produced opponent season lows in three-pointers (4) and steals (3)
How It Happened
First Half
14:13 – UND 12, ORU 10 (ORU +8 paint, 0-of-4 3PT FG)
11:53 – UND 20, ORU 16 (UND 3-of-7 3PT FG)
7:24 – UND 31, ORU 24 (UND 4-of-last-5 FG, UND +4 TOs)
3:49 – UND 37, ORU 34
HALF – ORU 43, UND 42
Second Half
15:42 – UND 51, ORU 50
10:39 – UND 61, ORU 60
6:40 – UND 67, ORU 67
5:28 – UND 71, ORU 69
3:55 – ORU 75, UND 73
FINAL – ORU 83, UND 79
For more information on North Dakota men’s basketball, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDmbasketball.
— UND —
North Dakota
Crash of two semis leaves one driver with serious injuries
GRENORA, N.D.— One man had serious injuries and another man had minor injuries after a crash between two semis Friday morning near this town in northwest North Dakota.
Hunter McLean, a 27-year-old Williston man, was seriously injured after his semi rear-ended the other semi about one mile south of Grenora on Williams County Road 5 around 9:06 a.m. Friday, Jan. 10.
Anthony Brumfield, a 58-year-old Williston man, was driving north on Williams County Road 5 in a 2020 Kenworth semi when he slowed down to turn into a disposal site. McLean, driving a 2015 Freightliner semi, was also driving north behind Brumfield.
As Brumfield began making the left turn, McLean came up over the crest of a small hill, saw the Kenworth semi and began applying the brakes, the North Dakota Highway Patrol reported.
Due to the extremely icy road conditions, McLean’s Freightliner began sliding and struck the rear end of the trailer attached to the Kenworth semi.
McLean was taken by Ambulance to CHI St. Alexis Hospital in Williston for serious injuries. Brumfield sustained minor injuries, the North Dakota Highway Patrol release said.
Both drivers were wearing seatbelts.
A small section of Williams County Road 5 was shut down for about nine hours while the scene was cleared.
The crash remains under investigation.
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
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