Fort Totten Man Pleads Guilty in Reservation Killing

Fort Totten (trfnews.i234.me) — A Fort Totten man has pleaded guilty in federal court to voluntary manslaughter and two assault charges tied to separate 2024 cases on the Spirit Lake Reservation.

Guilty Pleas Entered in Federal Court

Kolby Jae McKay, 33, also known as Kolby Woods, entered the guilty pleas Thursday in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota. Chief Judge Peter D. Welte accepted the pleas. McKay remains in custody. His sentencing is set for July 22, 2026.

The pleas were entered in two separate criminal cases. In one case, McKay admitted to assault with a dangerous weapon. He also admitted to assault by strangulation involving a woman he was dating. Court records say that attack happened on March 13, 2024.

Voluntary Manslaughter Charge

In the second case, McKay pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the death of Monte Ray Herman Sr. Prosecutors said Herman was killed on April 3, 2024, on the Spirit Lake Reservation.

After the killing, McKay fled the reservation. He remained missing for several days. During that time, the Spirit Lake Tribal Council issued a community curfew and offered a reward for information on his location.

Agencies Involved

The guilty pleas were announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Chase. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the FBI. Other state and local agencies also assisted.

Federal prosecutors handled the case in court. McKay now awaits sentencing in July.

I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.

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