Sioux Falls police arrest man tied to Wednesday homicide near Cliff Avenue

A Sioux Falls man has been charged by the Sioux Falls Police Department in connection with the homicide of a 63-year-old man found deceased Wednesday.

Morningstar Jewett admitted killing Nigussie Bulti in a fight, according to court documents filed Thursday. Jewett had his initial hearing Thursday afternoon in a Minnehaha County courtroom, but had been booked into jail since Tuesday for a different matter.

The death of Nigussie Bulti is the first homicide in Sioux Falls for 2023, police department spokesperson Sam Clemens stated in an email Friday.

Jewett was charged with two counts of aggravated assault in an attempt to cause serious bodily injury to another or causing such injury, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life, according to the request for arrest warrant issued by the State's Attorney of Minnehaha County.

“Jewett did attempt to cause serious bodily injury to Nigussie Bulti, or caused such injury, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life,” the attorney wrote.

Officers responded Wednesday morning to the area of East 3rd Street and North Cliff Avenue. When police announced the homicide during Wednesday's police briefing with media, Clemens said he was unable to provide more information due to the ongoing investigation, but added because of some suspicious circumstances investigators were operating off the assumption the death was a homicide and not an unattended death.

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Police charged Morningstar Jewett in connection with the death Wednesday afternoon. He had already been booked into the Minnehaha County Jail earlier in the week for a different incident.

During police briefing on Thursday, Clemens said the preliminary results of the autopsy indicated the case was a homicide.

Body found after wellbeing call

The affidavit in support of application for an arrest warrant states Bulti's caseworker at Southeastern Behavioral Health went to check on Bulti because of a missed appointment and that's when the body was found.

The caller entered the apartment and Bulti's body was in a black garment bag, according to court documents. Part of the body was extending out of the bag, and the rug below the body was soaked in blood, which appeared to be dry.

Bulti had been renting the apartment for the past five years, according to court documents.

The rear window of the apartment was insecure, according to court documents.

Responding officers and paramedics confirmed Bulti's time of death, according to court documents. Responding officers could also smell decomposition in the building as well as inside the apartment.

The body had maggots and flies surrounding, indicating the man had been there for more than just a few hours, the affidavit stated.

Multiple items with suspected blood on them were located in the apartment on authorized search. The items included a broken fan, a knife with an antler handle, and cords. A suspected shoe print not matching the shoes found in the apartment was found on the floor and appeared to contain the transfer of suspected blood, according to the affidavit.

Witness said Jewett had been near the apartment

A witness told police she had seen an individual by the name of Morningstar near the apartment during the past week, according to court documents.

Jewett was arrested Tuesday for a disorderly conduct violation, assault by bodily fluids and threatening to kill or injure an officer, according to court documents.

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During a search of Jewett’s property at the jail, the detectives noticed a pair of blue jeans with suspected blood on them and a pair of shoes with a tread pattern that resembled the footprint found in Bulti's apartment.

Jewett admitted to assaulting Bulti during an interview, saying "You got me... I did it though," alleging that Bulti assaulted “his girl,” and that was what started a fight six days prior to Wednesday , according to court documents. Jewett also stated the victim was throwing objects at him, such as fan and utensils, and other things, and that what escalated the fight.

Jewett also admitted stomping Bulti's head multiple times and kicking him in the jaw, but said he did not know his victim ended up dying, according to court documents.

“I grabbed a piece of wood, and I smacked him in the back of the head with the wood,” said Jewett according to the affidavit. “He hit the ground. I assaulted him again.”

Jewett claimed that later someone went into the apartment and took several items, and people he would not identify tried to clean up the scene, according to court documents.

Jewett was previously charged with multiple cases of aggravated assaults, domestic violence, and robbery.

Jewett is currently being held in the jail on a $50,000 bond.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Man arrested in connection to Wednesday homicide in Sioux Falls