North Dakota

Today in History: January 26, 1946 – North Dakota car theft linked to manhunt for South Dakota fugitive

Published

3 weeks ago

January 26, 2026

Today in History: January 26, 1946 – North Dakota car theft linked to manhunt for South Dakota fugitive

Today in History revisits the Saturday, January 26, 1946 edition of the Grand Forks Herald and highlights a story on a massive five-state manhunt targeted escaped murderer George S. Sitts after he gunned down two South Dakota officers near Spearfish, S.D. After Sitts abandoned his snow-stuck getaway car, police shifted their focus to a new lead: a two-tone sedan with North Dakota license plates stolen in Aberdeen. Authorities believe the fugitive transitioned from his ditched vehicle to car with North Dakota license plates or fled on foot through deep snow to evade federal and local capture.

Locate S. D. Killer’s Car

SPEARFISH, S. D.—(Associated Press story as published in the Grand Forks Herald on Jan. 26, 1946)—The auto driven by the man who shot down two South Dakota officers Thursday night, Jan. 24, 1946, was found abandoned on a narrow, snow-clogged side road 12 miles southeast of the scene of the slayings at 8 P. M. Friday, Jan. 25.

Federal authorities joined in the widespread manhunt after Commissioner H. Johnson at Rapid City, S. D., had issued a federal fugitive warrant, together with one charging the suspect with the interstate transportation of a stolen auto.

A bulletin broadcast over the South Dakota police radio station shortly after the abandoned car was found indicated officers were checking train schedules in efforts to learn if the fugitive had escaped from this area by railroad.

Officers said this theory was prompted by the theft at Aberdeen, S. D., of a two-tone sedan bearing North Dakota license plates. A five-state alarm was sent out for the machine, which has a cream-colored top and maroon base, police said.

Cliff Edwards, managing editor of the Rapid City, S. D. Journal, said the abandoned auto was a black Buick sedan bearing Minnesota 1946 license plates 119-804. He said officers believed the killer, whom they said they thought was George S. Sitts, 32, escaped Minneapolis murderer, had become stuck in the deep snow of the narrow country lane while seeking to flee the scene of the slaying.

Edwards said the machine was first spotted by two men named Montgomery and Roberts, living at Whitewood, S. D., 14 miles from here and approximately two miles from where the auto was recovered.

Ray Billavou, deputy Lawrence county sheriff, said the car would be towed into Spearfish for further investigation.

A casual inspection disclosed a money order receipt, stamped at Spearfish post office, which Billavou said he believed had come from the wallet of Tom Matthews, special agent for the attorney general’s law enforcement division, one of the men slain. Second victim was Dave Malcolm, Butte county sheriff.

Concentrating all available officers in the area, Billavou contacted telephone operators in neighboring communities throughout the sparsely settled district where the car was found to alert them. He said there had been no reports of any car stolen in the territory, which meant, he added, that Sitts must have sought to continue his flight afoot.

The treacherous trail the killer took winds five miles through the Black Hills into Deadwood, S. D., Billavou said. It is impassable to cars, however, due to the foot of snow which fell Thursday night, Jan. 24, 1946, to pile on a previous accumulation of another 12 inches of hard packed snow.

Edwards said the car was thoroughly ditched, with the front wheels stuck on one side of the lane and the rear wheels on the other. That it had been there all night was attested by the foot of snow on its top. The storm started shortly after the killings.

The bodies of Matthews and Malcolm were found sprawled on a highway near here Thursday night. Both had been shot with a .45 calibre pistol, officers said.

They were slain when they apparently attempted to question the driver of a 1938 black sedan bearing Minnesota license plates after they had joined a northern Black Hills search for Sitts.

The bodies were lying midway between their two parked cars, spaced 50 feet apart as though they had sought to trap a third vehicle, the sheriff said. Malcolm’s car engine was still running and its lights were on when officers reached the scene.

Officers reported Matthews’ service pistol which he carried in a shoulder holster was missing and his wallet was gone.

The aid of officers in North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska, as well as South Dakota, had been enlisted in the hunt for the slayer, driving a 1938 black sedan with the Minnesota 1945 license 109-406, according to the sheriff.

Clutched in Malcolm’s hand when the bodies were found was a slip of paper bearing a Minnesota automobile license number — the clue which authorities said first turned their pursuit to Sitts

Questioned closely in an effort to uncover additional details was Earl Cook, 35, Sundance, Wyo., a truck driver who, it was reported, witnessed at least part of the shooting.

Cook told officers he was en route from Belle Fourche to Sundance when he passed three cars parked at the edge of the highway, two of them on his left and the third on his right. All three faced him. As he drove by, he said, he saw the third machine also pull over to the other side of the road and shortly afterward he heard an explosion.

He said he stopped his truck about 150 yards from the other cars, believing he had a blowout. As he stepped from his truck, he related, he saw a “spurt of flame shoot down” and heard a second report.

He said he saw a man walk from the highway to the middle car, then back to an object on the highway. The man picked up the object, Cook said, then dropped it “and hurried back to the middle car.”

Cook told officers the machine drove rapidly away. He said he turned his truck around, saw the bodies in the beam of his headlights and drove to Spearfish to report the killings.

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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North Dakota

Avery Koenen leads North Dakota State to historic rout of UND

Published

11 hours ago

February 15, 2026

Press Room

Avery Koenen leads North Dakota State to historic rout of UND

GRAND FORKS — It took roughly two and a half minutes for Avery Koenen to set the tone Sunday afternoon at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

The 6-foot-3 junior forward made a layup and a jumper on North Dakota State’s first two possessions. Sophomore guard Sydney Piekny drove to the rim for a layup in an attempt to score UND’s first points of the game.

Koenen blocked it.

The Fighting Hawks gathered the rebound and graduate guard Mackenzie Hughes made her own attempt at a layup.

Koenen blocked it again.

NDSU’s Avery Koenen works for control of the ball as UND’s Mackenzie Hughes, left, and Hanna Miller, right, apply defensive pressure in the third quarter on Feb. 15, 2026, at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald

Thirty-six seconds later, she put in a layup of her own.

Koenen did not cool off as the game progressed. She finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks as the Bison routed the Hawks, 87-51.

“She’s a very good player,” UND head coach Dennis Hutter said. “Athletic, both shoulders, both hands, finishes well, shoots free throws well, plays hard, competes, does a very good job. She’s a very hard guard.”

North Dakota State’s 36-point win was the largest margin of victory in the history of the rivalry, according to the Hawks’

record book.

The largest margin of victory belonged to UND before Sunday’s loss. It was set in a 90-58 win on March 10, 1990.

“It’s important to our alums, it’s important to our community, it’s important to NDSU that we represent ourselves really well in this game,” Bison head coach Jory Collins said. “I’ve been fortunate everywhere that I’ve been to have a real rival, in-state rival, and have embraced that and enjoyed what that brings, the good times and the bad ones. It really is fun, I think it’s great for the state of North Dakota as well, so proud that we came out on the good end today.”

021626 UND NDSU wbb 3.jpg — NDSU’s Avery Koenen goes to the basket as UND’s Walker Demers defends on Feb. 15, 2026, at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

The 23-2 overall Bison, who have not lost a game since Nov. 16 and lead the Summit League with a 12-0 record, took off in the third quarter.

North Dakota State entered the second half with a 39-26 lead and quickly rattled off a 15-2 run. The Bison outscored the Hawks 25-10 in the third.

“It was important to come out strong,” Koenen said. “Maybe we weren’t finishing well in the first half and I think that we came out stronger in the second half, and asserted ourselves right away and it just carried on the rest of the game.”

Redshirt sophomore guard Jocelyn Schiller nailed a 3-pointer during North Dakota State’s third-period surge.

She shot 4-for-11 and scored 14 points, second only to Koenen.

It was a homecoming of sorts for Schiller. The Grand Forks Red River graduate spent her freshman season playing for the Hawks before transferring to NDSU.

“It was a little weird coming back,” Schiller said. “As soon as the game started, I kind of forgot about everything and was just excited to play with this team. … It’s a rivalry either way I think, so everyone was pumped to come into this game, and so was I.”

021626 UNDNDSUwbb4.jpg — UND’s Lauren Hillesheim drives the lane as NDSU’s Karrington Asp, left, and Avery Koenen defend in the first half on Feb. 15, 2026, at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

UND struggled to keep up with the Bison’s offense. The Hawks shot 32.7% from the field and 4-for-22 from 3-point range.

The offensive load was carried by a pair of upperclassmen.

Hughes shot 5-for-13 and led the way with 22 points. Senior center Walker Demers scored 15 points and shot 6-for-12.

UND’s bench provided just five points.

The Hawks, hot off the heels of a 94-48 road loss to South Dakota State on Thursday, fell to 7-20 overall and 3-10 in conference play.

They’re entering the home stretch of the regular season with just three games remaining.

“I told our team this week, you get a great opportunity,” Hutter said. “If you have any aspirations and any dreams of finishing at the top of this league, you’re going to find out this week exactly what you have to do and how you have to play, and how you have to go about it. And the fact that you’re going to play the top two teams right now, one that’s won it consistently over the years and one that’s playing at an extremely high level.

“So I do think we have some kids that are trying to figure it out. We’re playing some young kids I think that are garnering some pretty good minutes and maybe getting some tread on their tires a little bit. But I just wish we’d learn how to compete for 40 minutes. I just don’t think we know how to do that yet.”

021626 UNDNDSUwbb5.jpg — UND’s Mackenzie Hughes shoots over NDSU’s Jocelyn Schiller in the first half on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

Alex Faber is a sports reporter for the Grand Forks Herald. A Michigan transplant, he graduated from Michigan State University in 2024 with a degree in journalism and minors in history and environmental studies.

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North Dakota

Fargo Couple Among Those Stung by Abrupt Hearing Cancellations

Published

23 hours ago

February 15, 2026

Press Room

Fargo Couple Among Those Stung by Abrupt Hearing Cancellations

(Photo by Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – A woman who recently moved to Fargo from the Philippines has a job lined up to work as a nurse for Bethany. But she hasn’t started the job because her work authorization hasn’t yet been approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

She is living with her husband, a Fargo native, while they wait for a hearing to be rescheduled, but they have no idea how long the wait will be.

The North Dakota Monitor is not naming the couple out of concerns for her safety.

The Minneapolis field office for Citizenship and Immigration Services is where North Dakota residents are likely to go for an immigration hearing or interview. The couple traveled to Minneapolis in November for a hearing, spending the night in a hotel so they could arrive early for their 8 a.m. appointment. At 8:30 a.m., they were told the hearing would have to be rescheduled. They say they were not given a reason.

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North Dakota

North Dakota State settles in, beats UND to solidify top spot in Summit League

Published

1 day ago

February 14, 2026

Press Room

North Dakota State settles in, beats UND to solidify top spot in Summit League

GRAND FORKS — North Dakota State head coach David Richman knew what his team was up against heading into Saturday afternoon’s game at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

A hostile road environment? Check. A resilient UND team with a proven ability to mount second-half comebacks? Check. A rivalry bout with major implications in the Summit League standings? Check.

The Bison went into halftime trailing by a point. But it didn’t take long for the visitors to establish in the second half that the Fighting Hawks would not get the opportunity for another late rally.

NDSU kicked off the second frame on an 18-5 run, kept its foot on the gas and steamed ahead to an 83-66 win over the Hawks.

“(UND) is tough,” Richman said. “They’re resilient. How many times that they’ve been down double digits? That’s why we stayed on edge the entirety of that second half. Extremely proud of our guys and the way they responded.”

The Bison added some padding to their spot atop the conference standings. They moved to 11-1 in Summit League play and 21-6 overall.

The Hawks moved to 15-14 overall and 9-4 in league play, good for third place. St. Thomas sits at second (20-7, 9-3) with a game against Kansas City on Saturday night.

“We need to keep playing to win,” Richman said. “Kindergarten is for sharing. We want to keep getting better, we want to keep getting better, we want to keep getting better. … We’re in a good spot. I have no interest in being good.”

NDSU’s run in the opening minutes of the second half was highlighted by a handful of resounding dunks from Markhi Strickland.

The senior guard was just one of four Bison who scored in double figures.

“It’s a crazy energy boost,” sophomore guard Andy Stefonowicz said. “I don’t know how he dunks it that hard, but that’s my favorite. When he goes up there, I know he’s dunking it.”

UND, which had begun to force turnovers and find some defensive rhythm near the end of the first half, struggled to contain the Bison’s wide array of offensive weapons in the second.

Stefonowicz shot 5-for-5 from 3-point range and scored a team-high 20 points. Strickland and junior guard Damari Wheeler-Thomas each scored 16 points, while junior forward Noah Feddersen contributed 12.

UND’s Greyson Uelman dribbles around NDSU’s Noah Feddersen in the first half Saturday.

Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald

“Just really disappointed in the second half,” Hawks head coach Paul Sather said. “The toughness side of it, the team aspect stuff, I just didn’t think we were very good about that in the second half. Made a few shots offensively, but I just think that’s what our concern was mostly and we didn’t have the concern or the fight defensively enough. I thought we made it really easy for them. We didn’t put up enough of a fight.”

NDSU also made a living on the boards, outrebounding the Hawks 36-23.

The Bison grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and scored 19 second-chance points. For Sather, it was further proof of the Hawks’ lackluster effort.

“There were a few times where shots went up, and we didn’t really even put a body,” Sather said. “It’s February. You’ve got to play with some physicality, and we didn’t. It’s just a really good reflective number on your effort, when you get (beat in) second-chance points like that.”

021526 UND NDSU 4.jpg — UND’s Eli King dunks the ball early in the first half against NDSU Saturday.

UND kept up with NDSU in the first half despite shooting 37% from the field. The Hawks improved with a 50% effort from the field in the second, but it was no match for the Bison’s 64.3%.

Redshirt freshman Greyson Uelmen tried to create a spark with 14 second-half points, but none of his teammates scored more than six points in the final frame.

“I just was really disappointed with our fight,” Sather said. “That’s kind of who we’ve been. And when you don’t have it, it’s a hard one to put your finger on. “

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