Red Lake 19-year-old indicted on murder charge
A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a 19-year-old Red Lake man on the charge of murdering another resident of the Red Lake Indian Reservation last month.
In the indictment, which was filed with the U.S. District Court earlier today, Ryan Roy Cloud was charged with second-degree murder. The indictment alleges that, with malice, Cloud killed a 27-year-old Red Lake man Feb. 1. Cloud remains in custody.
According to an FBI affidavit filed in this case, Red Lake Tribal Police received a call at 9:20 p.m. Feb. 1 from the Indian Health Service Hospital. The police were told the victim of a stabbing had just arrived for care. That victim was pronounced dead at 9:42 p.m.
Shortly thereafter, police officers learned the victim had suffered his injuries at a Red Lake residence, so they immediately visited the scene. Outside the home, they spotted a pool of blood with a knife lying next to it. They also saw blood droplets leading from the blood pool to the entrance of the home. Inside the residence, the police found and arrested several individuals, including Cloud. Police later learned that Cloud and the victim had been wrestling, and Cloud had stabbed the victim several times.
If convicted, Cloud faces a potential maximum penalty of life in prison. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge.
The federal government has primary law enforcement jurisdiction over the Red Lake Indian Reservation. Thus, this case was investigated by the FBI in concert with the Red Lake Tribal Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Clifford B. Wardlaw.
An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.
