St. Michael man convicted of murder, arson in teen’s death

FARGO (KVRR) – A St. Michael, North Dakota man has been found guilty of second-degree murder and arson in connection with the death of a teenage boy.

U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider says in January, 2021, 36-year-old Cody James Belgarde shot and killed the teen, who was two weeks past his seventeenth birthday. Belgarde then set fire to the house where the murder took place.

The jury acquitted Belgarde on a charge of first-degree murder.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 6. Belgarde faces up to life in prison.