St. Michael Woman Pleaded Guilty to Three Counts of Involuntary Manslaughter

Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on July 27, 2023, Trina Lily Hunt, age 20, of St. Michael, ND, pleaded guilty before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, to three counts of Involuntary Manslaughter and one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. 

On August 11, 2021, Bureau of Indian Affairs patrol officers responded to a call of a two-vehicle crash along Heart Road on the Spirit Lake Reservation. Hunt was driving one of the vehicles and had two passengers. A second driver, Winter Skye Bigtrack, was driving a vehicle and had four passengers. Of those passengers, two fatalities were identified at the scene – an adult male and a juvenile male. A third passenger, a minor female, later died. A fifth passenger, another minor female, suffered injuries that required her to be transported to Fargo for treatment where she was admitted to the intensive care unit.

The investigation revealed that both Hunt and Bigtrack were driving recklessly, without licenses, while under the influence of intoxicating liquor and a controlled substance at high speeds exceeding the posted speed limit. Bigtrack previously pled guilty and was sentenced to serve 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. 

Sentencing of Hunt is scheduled for November 7, 2023, at 2:30 PM.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the North Dakota Highway Patrol, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorney Lori H. Conroy assigned to the case.

# # #