South Dakota authorities made a disturbing discovery this week when they found parts of a man’s decomposing body sticking out of a garment bag covered in maggots and flies, the Argus Leader reports.
On Wednesday, a caseworker for Southeastern Behavioral Health, a mental health agency, went to visit 63-year-old Nigussie Bulti in Sioux Falls after he missed an appointment.
Police officers were then called to Bulti’s apartment and when they entered the building, they reported smelling decomposition.
Inside the unit, officers found a black garment bag with Bulti’s body sticking out. A rug underneath the bag appeared to be soaked in dried blood and flies and maggots were surrounding the body.
Investigators believe the man had been dead for about a week, according to Dakota News Now. An autopsy determined that he died as a result of homicide.
Prosecutors on Thursday charged 29-year-old Morningstar Jewett with two counts of aggravated assault in connection with Bulti’s death but said more charges could be coming. Jewett allegedly admitted to assaulting Bulti with wood and then stomping on his head as the two were fighting, according to court documents reviewed by the newspaper.
“You got me . . . I did it though,” Jewett allegedly told police, according to the Argus Leader.
Jewett claimed that Bulti had assaulted “his girl,” which is what prompted the fight.
“I grabbed a piece of wood, and I smacked him in the back of the head with the wood,” Jewett allegedly told police, according to the newspaper. “He hit the ground. I assaulted him again.”
Jewett had already been in police custody on an unrelated matter since Tuesday.
Police at the apartment seized multiple items during a search, including a knife with an antler handle, a broken fan, and cords. Investigators also found a shoe print that did not match any of the shoes in the apartment. Upon searching Jewett’s residence, police allegedly located jeans with apparent blood on them and shoes that appeared to match the shoeprint at Bulti’s apartment.
Jewett said that someone other than him later entered the apartment and tried to clean it up. A witness reportedly told police they saw Jewett near the apartment within the past week.
Since his arrest, Jewett has been detained in jail pending a $50,000 bond. He had just been released from prison on June 27, according to KELO-TV.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to the latest episode:
[Feature Photo: Morningstar Jewett/Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office]
