Spirit Lake Man Gets Life for Double Stabbing

Dallas Wayne Thundershield, 36, of Fort Totten, North Dakota, is behind bars for life after being sentenced for a blood-soaked rampage that left one man dead and another fighting for his life on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation. On January 24, 2017, U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Erickson ordered Thundershield to spend the rest of his natural life in federal prison, plus five years of supervised release, for the April 9, 2016, stabbing spree that turned a routine car ride into a crime scene.

Convicted by a federal jury on October 26, 2016, after a six-day trial, Thundershield was found guilty of 2nd Degree Murder, Assault with Intent to Commit Murder, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury. The charges stemmed from a violent outburst during a ride shared with Elvis Demarce and Richard Demarce. What began as a casual drive for errands spiraled into chaos when an argument between Thundershield and Elvis Demarce erupted—ending in multiple knife wounds to Elvis and one fatal stab to Richard Demarce’s chest, piercing his heart.

The female companion in the vehicle, fearing for her life, made four 911 calls during the attack but hung up each time, terrified Thundershield would discover her. After leaving both men bleeding on the roadside, Thundershield fled in Elvis Demarce’s vehicle to a residence near Hamar, North Dakota, where he had been staying. The scene darkened further the next morning when he assaulted the same woman who had tried to call for help, inflicting substantial bodily injury.

Law enforcement was called to the Hamar residence, where Thundershield was taken into custody without resistance. Evidence gathered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs–Fort Totten, and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation painted a damning picture of premeditation and brutality. Blood trails, witness testimony, and digital records sealed his fate at trial.

Judge Erickson didn’t hold back in sentencing. In addition to the life term, Thundershield must pay a $400 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund and $150,032.19 in restitution—a figure left open for 60 days to allow full accounting of damages. The sum reflects not just medical and funeral costs, but the deep financial and emotional toll on the victims’ families.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Janice Morley and Matthew Greenley prosecuted the case with a relentless focus on justice for the Demarce brothers and the survivor. With Thundershield now locked away for life, federal authorities say the sentence sends a clear message: violence on tribal lands will be met with full force of the federal law.

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