Red Lake man sentenced to 12 Years in prison for murder

A Red Lake man has been sentenced to 144 months, or 12 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for a 2020 murder that took place on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. The sentencing details was announced by United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger on Tuesday.

According to court documents, on September 12, 2020, Ralph Edward Cloud, Jr., 38, killed his cousin, Allen Smith, in Smith’s home. According to the Department of Justice press release, Cloud was concerned about a relationship between his wife and Smith, so he walked several miles to Smith’s residence and attacked him. Cloud used a metal cabinet and its drawers to beat Smith to death.

On July 14, 2022, Cloud pleaded guilty to one count of murder in the second degree. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Michael J. Davis.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Red Lake Tribal Police Department and the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily A. Polachek and Deidre Y. Aanstad prosecuted the case.