Published on: January 20, 2026, 01:36h.
Updated on: January 20, 2026, 01:53h.
- A man from North Dakota claims he has no recollection of fatally stabbing a woman
- The alleged murder took place in a hotel room at Sky Dancer Casino & Resort
Authorities in North Dakota assert that a man fatally stabbed a woman in a room at a tribal casino hotel, but the suspect insists he cannot remember the event.
On January 10, at approximately 6:07 AM local time, the Rolette County Sheriff’s Office responded to a homicide report at the Sky Dancer Casino & Resort in Belcourt. The call came from Rigoberto Mendez-Morales, 58, of Mandaree.
Mendez-Morales stated to police that he awoke to discover the woman dead in his hotel room, with multiple stab wounds, and he himself was covered in blood.
The victim, referred to in court documents only as a Native woman affiliated with the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, was identified by the initials B.T.M. She was reported to be cold and without a pulse. The Sky Dancer Casino & Resort is operated by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.
Memory Loss Regarding the Homicide
Mendez-Morales recalled gambling at the casino and consuming three alcoholic beverages but claimed he had no recollection of returning to his hotel room. He was also found to have an injury to his right eye, which was swollen and bleeding.
Surveillance footage from the casino showed Mendez-Morales and the victim entering the hotel room shortly after midnight. The video revealed no other individuals entering or leaving the room until law enforcement arrived hours later.
“It appeared B.T.M. had multiple stab wounds,” noted the federal affidavit supporting Mendez-Morales’ arrest. “Sky Dancer Casino & Resort’s security cameras indicated that only Mendez-Morales and B.T.M. entered the room from the early hours of January 10, 2026, until law enforcement and hotel security arrived.”
A knife belonging to Mendez-Morales, found in the hotel room, was stained with blood and contained black human hairs consistent with those of the victim.
Mendez-Morales has since been arrested and is charged with second-degree homicide within Indian Country. He is currently held on a $450K bond and has a court appearance scheduled for January 26.
Officials from the SkyDancer Casino have denounced the murder as a “senseless act of domestic violence.” If convicted, Mendez-Morales could face a life sentence.
Recent Tribal Casino Homicides
This incident marks another tragic homicide at a tribal casino in recent months.
In November, authorities arrested a 34-year-old woman from Washington who allegedly spiked a man’s drink with fentanyl. Her plan to rob the man of $1,200 in casino winnings went awry when he lost consciousness and later succumbed to fentanyl poisoning.
In late September, a Texas man reportedly opened fire at the Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel in Eagle Pass, resulting in two fatalities. The motives behind his actions remain unknown.