Red Lake man sentenced to 12 years in 2020 murder

By KSTP

A Red Lake man was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for a 2020 murder that took place on Red Lake Indian Reservation, according to a news release by U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger.

Ralph Edward Cloud Jr., 38, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on July 14, court officials said.

According to court documents, on Sept. 12, 2020, Cloud killed his cousin Allen Smith.

Cloud was concerned about the relationship between Smith and his wife and walked several miles to Smith’s home and beat him to death, court officials said.

The case was investigated by the Red Lake Tribal Police Department and the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force.