South Dakota Man Arrested for Attempted Murder in Cass County
Tracy Vaughn Peters, 60, of Rapid City, South Dakota, was arrested early Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 14, at a south Fargo apartment complex on suspicion of attempted murder after a woman was found with life-threatening injuries near Wild Rice, North Dakota, mitchellrepublic.com reported.
Woman Suffers Life-Threatening Injuries Near Fargo
Cass County Sheriff’s deputies responded at 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, to an area near 112th Avenue South and County Road 81, roughly five miles south of Fargo, following a report of an injury. Responding personnel located a female victim suffering from life-threatening injuries at the scene.
Emergency medical services transported the injured woman to a Fargo hospital for urgent treatment. Law enforcement officials confirmed she was still receiving medical care on Wednesday evening.
Members of the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the Metro Area Street Crimes Unit, and the U.S. Marshals Task Force carried out the Wednesday afternoon arrest without incident. Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner stated that the investigation progressed quickly following the release of initial information and interviews.
Peters Has Prior Federal Assault Conviction
Court records detail a prior federal conviction for Peters stemming from an assault in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, on Nov. 3, 2016. In that case, he was convicted of assault resulting in substantial injury to an intimate partner and sentenced to six months in federal prison.
In addition to the federal conviction, Peters holds several minor convictions within North Dakota. Those prior local offenses include writing insufficient funds checks, providing false reports to law enforcement, and harassment charges.
Investigation Continues as Authorities Prepare Formal Charges
Formal charges had not yet been filed against Peters as of Wednesday evening, according to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. Law enforcement authorities confirmed that the criminal investigation into the incident near Wild Rice remains active and ongoing.
Sheriff Jahner indicated that the investigation continues as deputies work to establish the full timeline and sequence of events surrounding the Tuesday afternoon assault. Additional updates from the sheriff’s office are expected as the case proceeds toward formal court filings.