“The injuries that I have seen, in my opinion, are very graphic, and I feel like this person was left out there to die,” Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner said during a news conference, describing an attack that left a woman with life-threatening wounds near rural South Fargo.
A 60-year-old Rapid City, South Dakota man was arrested Wednesday in connection with the incident, according to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. Tracy Peters was taken into custody around 1:00 p.m. Wednesday as authorities wrapped up their probe into the assault, and he is currently detained at the Cass County Jail facing a proposed Class A felony charge of attempted murder.
The case opened around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, when emergency medical technicians and sheriff’s deputies were sent to the vicinity of County Road 81 and 112th Avenue South following an alert about an injured individual.
Discovery Along the Wild Rice River
According to Sheriff Jahner, a local resident named Jay Schuler was alerted to movement near the Wild Rice River by one of his game cameras. Upon checking the footage, he observed a woman walking in the area who appeared to be seriously injured and in need of assistance.
The sheriff noted that the woman had blood on her thigh, was wearing a sock on one foot, and lacked footwear on the other. Schuler contacted a nearby resident, Jeff Jones, to share what he had seen. Jones went to the location and found the woman before emergency responders arrived, helping her into his vehicle to secure help.
A Cass County Sheriff’s Office detective and a North Dakota Highway Patrol trooper arrived at the scene around 5:00 p.m. Tuesday to provide medical aid. Responders observed multiple cuts to the woman’s neck and an injury to her hand, while her clothing and hair were wet. She was transported by ambulance to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.
During initial contact with investigators, the woman provided a first name and details regarding a possible vehicle linked to the person involved, though authorities could not immediately identify a suspect. She later told medical personnel that she had been attacked with a knife.
Investigators Secure Scene Resume Search Wednesday
Investigators and the North Dakota Highway Patrol searched the surrounding area for evidence. Information provided by another resident who reported seeing a man in a vehicle near the location helped officers pinpoint where they believe the injuries occurred. Due to limited daylight, authorities secured the scene overnight and resumed evidence collection Wednesday morning.
Sheriff Jahner stated that Peters and the woman knew each other prior to the incident, though investigators are still working to determine the exact nature of their relationship. The sheriff credited the quick actions of residents Schuler and Jones with potentially saving the woman’s life.
“Had Jay and Jeff not responded to what they had observed, I think we would be in a different situation,” Jahner said, while also acknowledging the coordinated response of investigators, emergency medical personnel, and law enforcement partners.
Authorities have not released additional details regarding the woman’s current condition or the specific events leading up to the assault. The inquiry into the matter stays ongoing, and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office requests that anyone possessing tips or information concerning suspicious behavior in the vicinity reach out via Red River Regional Dispatch.
