In the quiet, early morning hours of March 28, 2024, a burst of violence shattered the peace in Box Elder, Montana, leaving two men dead. Darin Bernard Caplette, a 41-year-old male from the Rocky Boy's Reservation, was one of the victims in the fatal shooting, which took place around 1:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the D&L Bar. Another man, 42-year-old Thomas Roderick Yallup, also lost his life in the incident.
Hill County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the scene after reports of gunfire. Upon arrival, they discovered Caplette and Yallup with gunshot wounds near the gas pumps. Both men were urgently transported to a nearby hospital, but tragically, neither survived their injuries. The initial investigation by a multi-agency force, including the Hill County Sheriff's Office and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, suggested that the shooting was a targeted assault on the two men.
A significant law enforcement presence was established in the area as authorities processed multiple crime scenes and interviewed witnesses to piece together the events of that fatal morning.
The investigation swiftly led to arrests. Within a day, three suspects were in custody. Angel Isaiah Castillo Haffley, an 18-year-old from Corning, California, was charged with deliberate homicide. Another 18-year-old from the same California city, Angelo Hawk Sanchez, was charged with deliberate homicide by accountability. A 16-year-old juvenile male was also arrested and faced a charge of deliberate homicide. As the investigation continued, a woman named Melody Bernard was also implicated and charged with two counts of felony deliberate homicide by accountability. It was determined that a vehicle registered to Bernard was used by the suspects during the commission of the crime. Angelo Hawk Sanchez was subsequently sentenced for his involvement in the double homicide.
