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Convicted Killer Valentino Bagola to Spend Life Behind Bars
FARGO – Valentino Bagola, 22, of St. Michael, North Dakota, will spend the rest of his life in prison after the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his conviction and two life sentences.
The gruesome crimes took place on August 6, 2015, when Bagola brutally murdered two young children, 9-year-old Destiny Shaw and 6-year-old Travis Dubois, Jr., on the Spirit Lake Reservation.
A grand jury indicted Bagola in July 2012, charging him with first-degree murder. After a three-week trial, the jury found Bagola guilty, and U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Erickson sentenced him to two life sentences, to be served concurrently.
In a ruling issued by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals on August 6, 2015, the court rejected every legal challenge raised by Bagola and determined that federal prosecutors had presented more than sufficient evidence establishing Bagola’s guilt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers praised the outcome, stating, “We are very pleased that the two life sentences given to Valentino Bagola for these horrible crimes were affirmed today by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Court’s opinion provides some measure of justice for Destiny and baby Travis, their family, and the Spirit Lake community.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clare Hochhalter, Janice Morley, Scott Schneider, and Acting United States Attorney Christopher Myers prosecuted the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Chase presenting the appeal argument to the Eighth Circuit.
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Key Facts
- State: North Dakota
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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