FARGO, N.D. – Fargo police say a Sartell, Minn. native was killed in an apparent random attack this week.
Fargo Police Lt. Joel Vettel says Samuel Traut, 25, "met a tragic end by simply opening his door."
Prosecutors on Wednesday charged 35-year-old Ashley Hunter with two counts of murder in the deaths of Traut, who police say he didn't know, and 45-year-old Clarence Flowers. Police say Traut lived in an apartment building directly behind Hunter's residence, and was bludgeoned to death after he opened his door.
Authorities say Hunter was acquainted with Flowers, who was stabbed to death in his apartment Monday afternoon.
Police say Hunter was a methamphetamine user and that may have been a factor in the random attack.
Sartell High School principal Brenda Steve said she remembers Traut as a student who was driven to learn.
"Anyone who had Sam would talk about how inquisitive he was," Steve said. "It was never about the grade, it was about learning."
Steve said that Traut enrolled in all the engineering classes offered by Sartell High School, a interest that followed him to North Dakota State University.
As a person, Steve said Traut was an honest student who acted with integrity and cared for those around him.
"The news will hit the community hard, but especially us who knew him," Steve said.
Traut is the second Sartell native to be murdered in the Fargo area. Tom Bearson was found dead on Sept. 23, 2014, in Moorhead and the investigation is still open. Lt. Tory Jacobson of the Moorhead Police Department said nothing indicates an association between the two crimes.
St. Francis Xavier Parish in Sartell will be hosting a prayer service in memory of Traut at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
