ND Fargo Police Say Search for Isadora Wengel involves ‘large concern of foul play’, reported missing 7 Jan 2026 *arrest*

[Serononin]

Isadora Wengel case: Chief public defender breaks down no-body murder prosecutions

Isadora Wengel has been missing since January, and Fargo police say she was murdered by her boyfriend, Joshua Hite.

www.valleynewslive.com

Without a body, prosecutors rely on circumstantial evidence—facts that point to a conclusion without directly proving it. Think of it like waking up to a foot of snow. You didn’t see it fall, but you know it happened.

“You’ve got to map out your evidence,” Mertz said. “‘How am I going to convince this jury that this defendant caused the death of this person who is dead?’”

From what we've heard so far, I don't think they're going to have much trouble convincing a jury in this case

 

[truthfinder2019]

Nearly two months after Isadora Wengel was first reported missing, the man charged with her murder has an official trial date set.

Joshua Hite is scheduled to stand trial May 13, 2026, as investigators continue searching for Wengel’s body and a key piece of evidence.

Trial date set for man charged in Isadora Wengel murder case

Joshua Hite is scheduled to stand trial May 13, 2026, as investigators continue searching for Wengel’s body and a key piece of evidence.

www.valleynewslive.com

Family set up an online tribute page

Isadora “Izzy” Leigh Wengel | 2001 - 2026 | Online-Tribute.com

Izzy always had a big personality, precocious as a child and charismatic as an adult. She was a gymnast for 8 years, making her high school JV team as an all around competitor at 11. A diagnosis of Ju…

www.online-tribute.com

Search continues

https://kfgo.com/2026/02/23/search-for-isadora-wengel-continues-in-otter-tail-county/

 

[Serononin]

Family set up an online tribute page

Isadora “Izzy” Leigh Wengel | 2001 - 2026 | Online-Tribute.com

Izzy always had a big personality, precocious as a child and charismatic as an adult. She was a gymnast for 8 years, making her high school JV team as an all around competitor at 11. A diagnosis of Ju…

www.online-tribute.com

Search continues

https://kfgo.com/2026/02/23/search-for-isadora-wengel-continues-in-otter-tail-county/

What a wonderful person she was, I can't imagine how her family must be feeling right now

 

[Katydp]

what a beautiful memorial page for such a talented and unique young woman. It brought tears to my eyes. I live close by Fargo and her case is on the news daily. This could be anyone's daughter, cousin, friend, grandchild, etc. I am so very sad that she was robbed of her precious life and her family robbed of their sweet Izzy.

 

[Beausoir]

I just feel sick over this murder. Such a sweet girl. If I recall, she sent her last text to her mother and it was a picture of a ceiling? Gave me complete chills. Am I correct on that?

 

[tatertot]

That was a beautiful tribute to her and I feel so bad for what her family is going through. The saddest part is this could have been settled with a phone call. If he wanted out of the relationship and she wasn't willing to leave his house (and I'm not implying she refused to leave) he could have called LE and it could have been settled.

I also feel bad for the Doordasher. They may have raised an eyebrow at the order, but our minds don't usually turn to the darkest explanation for something. JH might have also committed the murder before ordering the supplies from the hardware store. I just think that would be really traumatic to realize what exactly they'd delivered and I hope they just left it on his porch and didn't have to see him face-to-face.

 

[Muddy K]

I just feel sick over this murder. Such a sweet girl. If I recall, she sent her last text to her mother and it was a picture of a ceiling? Gave me complete chills. Am I correct on that?

Same here, a completely senseless, tragic murder.

Re: your question about the last text, click this link, Digital Evidence, and scroll down about four paragraphs to read about the texts from Isadora's phone. There's clearly suspicion on the part of LE that Hite sent those texts himself, using her phone, after killing Isadora.

 

[truthfinder2019]

Seven search warrants tied to the murder case of Isadora Wengel that have been made public reveal the sweeping digital investigation West Fargo police conducted in the weeks following the 25-year-old’s disappearance.

Search warrants show scope of digital investigation in Isadora Wengel murder case

A total of at least seven search warrants have been made public in connection to the murder case of Isadora Wengel.

www.valleynewslive.com

 

[truthfinder2019]

A judge ordered both a competency exam and a criminal responsibility evaluation for Joshua Hite ahead of trial
The court wants to know if he is mentally fit to stand trial and if he understands the harmful nature of his alleged actions.
Court documents filed Monday, March 23, show attorneys for Joshua Alexander Hite filed a motion to continue the preliminary hearing currently scheduled for March 31, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. The defense is asking that the hearing be pushed back two terms. A term is typically five weeks.

Isadora Wengel Investigation

www.valleynewslive.com

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Suspect in Isadora Wengel case reportedly gave directions to her remains; search comes up empty

By: Devin Fry FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – Joshua Hite, the man charged in connection with the death of 25-year-old Isadora Wengel, told investigators in a letter where he disposed of her remains, but a search

www.wdayradionow.com

March 30, 2026

*****
On Feb. 12, 2026, Hite disclosed in a letter the directions to where he said he left Wengel’s remains. The letter was printed and signed by Joshua Hite.

The directions led investigators to 33919 190th St. in Underwood, Minn., a property belonging to the family of one of Hite’s childhood friends.

Investigators responded to the location with assistance from the Ottertail County Sheriff’s Office. Wengel’s remains were not found there.

Investigators believe Hite transported part of Wengel’s remains to the Underwood property on or around Jan. 6–7, 2026.

*****
More in article.

************************************************************

New warrants in Wengel murder case reveal Hite’s phone activity, contradicting his story to police

Search Warrants found a Quora Digest notification on Hite’s phone containing a snippet of a post that appeared to contradict his account of the breakup.

www.valleynewslive.com

April 10, 2026

Newly released search warrants in the murder case of Isadora Wengel reveal a disturbing digital timeline investigators say shows what Joshua Hite was doing in the hours after she disappeared, and directly contradicts what he told police.

The warrants, filed by a Fargo Police detective, detail a forensic analysis of Hite’s iPhone 14 Pro Max completed by the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The documents show that on the morning of Jan. 4, 2026, the day after Wengel was last seen alive, Hite searched Google for a Sawzall, ordered one from Home Depot via DoorDash, and deleted photos of Wengel from his phone.

Later that same day, investigators say Hite searched twice for “how to register for a legal alias.”

***********
More in article.

He is due back in court June 19, 2026, for a preliminary hearing.

 

[Lebowski]

what else did he google?

"if i kill my gerlfriend will i get in trubble?"

"whats the best way to get rid of a boddy so i dont go to jail for murdering my girlfriend just now?"

"if i have doordash bring me a sawzall is the driver sworn to secrecy? (so i won't get in trubble for murder)"