Joshua Hite accused of dismembering girlfriend with tools he DoorDashed

The boyfriend of missing woman Isadora Wengel is accused of dismembering his North Dakota girlfriend with tools he threw at her apartment door and then dumping her body across state lines.

Joshua Alexander Hite, 21, was arrested last Tuesday following a weeks-long investigation into the disappearance of Isadora Wengel, who was last seen by her family on December 31 and reported missing on January 7.

“Based on the investigation thus far, we believe that Isadora Wangle was murdered in a heinous manner,” the Fargo Police Department said. “And we, the police department, collectively have probable cause to believe that her boyfriend, Josh Hite, was the person who killed her and tampered with the evidence surrounding the disposal of her body.”

“We believe this is a heinous and evil crime,” they added. “And we believe there may be some fragmentation.”

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According to local media reports, video and forensic evidence indicate that Hite, who was recently found with cuts to his hands, wrists, knees and thighs and bruising to his waist, attempted to conceal the possible murder by lying to authorities and family members. Valley News Liveciting court documents.

Hite allegedly accessed Wengel’s phone from January 4 to January 5 and sent unusual Snapchat photos of the ceiling and walls of his apartment to his mother and another person. Wengel’s relatives later told investigators that the photos “were not the strange and ordinary photographs they would receive from Wengel,” according to the documents.

The boyfriend also claimed that he saw Wengel while she was allegedly dropping him off at his house on January 5th. However, surveillance footage showed Wengel was not in his vehicle at the time, Valley News Live reported.

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Isadora Wengel was reported missing on January 7, 2026. (GoFundMe)

On Jan. 4, authorities found troubling Google searches on Hite’s phone, including “how to register for a legal alias” and “home depot Sawzall,” the brand’s high-powered reciprocating saw, according to the documents.

A recovered Home Depot receipt dated the same day also showed the purchase of a Milwaukee sawzall reciprocating saw, a carbide saw blade, clear plastic sheeting, extra-large garbage bags and black duct tape. Authorities believe the items were delivered by DoorDash at approximately 10:30 that day.

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Isadora Wengel was last seen near Fargo, North Dakota, wearing a white cardigan with a pink heart. (Fargo Police Department)

Numerous items containing a DNA profile matching Wengel were seized in and around Hite’s apartment; including a 12-inch Diablo Steel Damon Carbide saw blade. Black garbage bags containing bloody plastic sheeting, Wengel’s Halloween costume, blue latex gloves, a bath mat, plastic sheeting, medical gauze and towels were also seized.

During body disposal, police said Hite may have used the Subaru Impreza to transport the remains in a large 27-gallon storage bin to Otter Tail County, Minnesota, about an hour’s drive away, between 2 a.m. and 5:30 a.m.

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A Subaru Impreza may have been used to transport Wengel to Minnesota. (Fargo Police Department)

Police estimate that the suspect probably would not have been able to dig because the ground was frozen due to heavy snowfall at the time of the extermination. They believe the bag may have been covered in snow or placed in a low-lying area, but said they hoped the “midwinter thaw” would reveal it.

“Based on the fact that we know that the disposal of his body took place in extremely cold weather and with heavy snowfall on the ground,” police said. “Now we find ourselves in the midst of midwinter thaw, which could reveal where he is.”

Hite is charged with murder and tampering with evidence following a joint operation by regional law enforcement agencies.