News
Sjol found murdered
Scott Wagar
05/21/2013
A local family’s relative who went missing three weeks ago has been found murdered in Williston, and a man with numerous felony convictions has been charged with the missing man’s death and is currently in jail in Williams County.
According to Diane Sjol, director of nursing at Dakota College at Bottineau and the sister-in-law to the missing man, Jack Sjol, it has been confirmed by the Williams County Sheriff’s Department that the unidentified man found Tuesday near Williston is Jack Sjol, who was identified by the North Dakota Medical Examiner’s Office this past Thursday through dental records.
The medical examiner’s office stated that Jack Sjol’s death was a homicide, and that he died from gunshot wounds to the head and chest from a .300 caliber rifle. The report also states that Jack Sjol was shot on his ranch, but was placed inside a private dump ground where Williams County Sheriff’s Department and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation found his body this past Tuesday after a search warrant was granted to investigate that specific area.
Jack Sjol, 58, went missing from his ranch outside of Williston on April 24. When law enforcement was called to investigate his disappearance, they discovered a crime scene at Jack Sjol’s farmstead and began an investigation.
Ryan Lee Stensaker, 33, has been arrested and charged with Jack Sjol’s murder, a Class AA felony, and is being held in William County Correction Center with a $1 million bond set against him. He has also has been charged with the prohibited possession of a firearm and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Court records also indicate that Stensaker has other felony charges that date back to 1998.
Jack Sjol is retired from Williston’s waterworks department and had started a business with his brother, Scott (Diane Sjol’s husband), in association with the oil industry.
Diane Sjol stated that the family at the present moment is feeling a spectrum of emotions.
“We were very sad to learn that our suspicions were true and that Jack was the victim of a heinous, senseless crime. We sat in on the bond hearing for the suspect and it did give us some satisfaction to hear him being charged with AA Felony murder,” Diane Sjol said. “We are just on an emotional roller coaster. We are happy that we can bring Jack home, but so sad that someone took his life for no apparent reason. Now that they have someone in custody, maybe we can get some closure.
“There have been countless phone calls and texts of support and love and memories of Jack and how he impacted the lives of the people who knew him,” Diane Sjol added. “It is truly overwhelming, this showering of love and support for our family. We are taking it one day at a time and know we will get through this.”