U.S. Attorney Wrigley Announces the Arrest of a Parshall, ND, Woman for Involuntary Manslaughter, Child Neglect and Abuse

BISMARCK - United States Attorney Drew Wrigley announced that a federal grand jury has indicted Paige Howling Wolf, age 26, Parshall, ND, for Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country; Child Neglect in Indian Country; and three counts of Child Abuse in Indian Country. The Indictment was unsealed today, alleging that Paige Howling Wolf had custody of five young children and lived at a residence in Parshall, North Dakota, located on the Fort Berthold Reservation. On June 24, 2020, law enforcement and medical personnel responded to an emergency call of an unresponsive infant at the Parshall residence. One of the children, a nine-month-old infant, was found deceased. An autopsy of the deceased infant concluded that the child had died from chronic starvation. The remaining children were removed from Paige Howling Wolf’s custody and medical examinations of three of the children in the residence revealed they had methamphetamine in their system.

Grand jury Indictments are allegations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s office, with Assistant United States Attorney Eric Lundberg assigned to the case.

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