No house arrest, no curfew: Cayler Ellingson's killer Shannon Brandt is virtually free after $50K bail
NORTH DAKOTA, BISMARCK: A North Dakota Democrat who fatally plowed down an 18-year-old teen and claimed the boy was part of a 'Republican extremist group' is temporarily walking free without parole after posting $50,000 bail. Shannon Brandt, 41, admitted to killing Cayler Ellingson with his SUV on September 18, down an alley in McHenry after chasing the teen from a street party.
According to Brandt's bail terms, he is prohibited from leaving the state, drinking alcohol, possessing a firearm, or contacting Ellingson's family. But Brandt is not constrained to his home on a house arrest or even prohibited from going out after a certain time, and will only be periodically tested by the police to confirm his sobriety.
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Shannon Brandt reportedly called 911 and informed the dispatcher that Cayler Ellingson was a member of a "Republican extremist group" and had a political dispute with the teen before running him over with his SUV. Brandt initially fled the scene but returned after a while to call the police, only to flee again before they arrived. He was then arrested from his home in Glenfield for vehicular homicide and fleeing the scene but was released two days after posting a $50,000 bail.
Authorities informed that Shannon also allegedly admitted to drinking alcohol. When asked why he fled the scene, he claimed the teen had threatened to call mobs on him. North Dakota police Captain Bryan Niewind told Fox News, "We have uncovered no evidence to support Mr Brandt's claim on the 911 call, that Cayler Ellingson is a Republican extremist, nor that this incident involved politics." He said that the police would continue to investigate Brandt's claim.
The police were not clear about the motive nor as to why Brandt was chasing the teen after the street party. Neighbors have since told reporters that Brandt has been unstable his whole life and belongs in an institution. Ellingson's mother Sheri Ellingson told the police that her son had called her and asked if she knew Shannon Brandt. The mother said "she knew him but did not believe her son knew him and was on her way to pick Ellingson," according to the affidavit.
Ellingson's parents did not comment on the extent of their relationship with Shannon Brandt, who is currently virtually free as police probe the murder. Ellingson's family held a funeral for the teen on Monday, September 26. Shannon Brandt will appear at the Foster County courthouse in Carrington on October 11.