Joshua Hite appears via video link for initial court appearance (Feb. 13, 2026)
FARGO (KFGO KVRR) – A judge has ordered a mental health evaluation for a Fargo man charged in the murder of his girlfriend.
Police say they believe Joshua Hite, 21, dismembered Isadora Wengel. Her body has not been found.
Cass County District Court Judge Steven McCullough ordered the evaluation and sent Hite to the North Dakota State Hospital in Jamestown. It could take up to 30 days to determine if he is competent to stand trial.
Police say Wengel, of West Fargo, was likely killed between January 3 and 6 in Hite’s south Fargo apartment. Investigators say they found several pieces of evidence in an apartment dumpster that contained Wengel’s blood and DNA, including towels and a 12-inch blade.
Hite was arrested last month for murder, tampering with physical evidence and giving false information to law enforcement.
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