Wales, North Dakota (trfnews.i234.me) — A Wales man is facing a murder charge after a fatal shooting at his home on March 26. Russell Andrew Hiltner, 33, is being held on a $2 million cash bond.
Charges Filed
Hiltner is charged with Class AA felony murder. If convicted, he could face life in prison without parole. He also faces Class B felony charges of property theft and terrorizing.
What Investigators Say Happened
According to a probable cause statement, officers responded around 9 p.m. to Hiltner’s home in Wales. Inside, they found a man dead on the living room floor. The man had an apparent gunshot wound to the chest.
An eyewitness told investigators that Hiltner hugged the victim, accused him of stealing, then pulled a pistol from under a couch cushion and fired one shot.
The witness said she feared for her life and believed she could be shot next.
Crash and Arrest
The witness told authorities that Hiltner took the victim’s vehicle and fled. The vehicle was later found on Second Avenue near County Road 55 in Wales. It had crashed into a large tree. Investigators said the vehicle appeared to be traveling at a high speed. The airbags had deployed.
Hiltner was found inside the vehicle. Authorities said he later put his hands out the window. Investigators recovered a 9mm handgun from the passenger seat. They said one round remained in the chamber.
Evidence and Court Dates
Hiltner was taken to Langdon Prairie Health and later airlifted to Altru Health System.
The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation later searched the home. Investigators reported finding a bullet in a living room wall, a shell casing near the victim, and evidence said to match the handgun recovered from the vehicle.
Hiltner appeared for a bond hearing on March 30. He is scheduled to return to court at 9 a.m. on April 9. He remains in custody at the Grand Forks County Correctional Center.
If released, he would be barred from contacting two unnamed people and could not leave North Dakota without permission. Court records also show he applied for court-appointed counsel and was denied.
For case information, readers can review updates through the North Dakota Courts.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
