Friling Hadley

A Minot man charged in the death of a woman in Minot in December 2024 entered a change of plea on Friday, pleading guilty to one count of Class AA felony murder.

Friling Hadley, 35, Minot, entered his change of plea before Judge Gary Lee in North Central District Court Friday afternoon, and Lee ordered a presentence investigation.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Minot Police were dispatched to a northwest Minot apartment in the early morning of Dec. 17 after receiving a report of an unresponsive female. Officers arrived on scene and found the victim’s brother-in-law performing CPR on her. The witness told the officers Hadley was supposed to be waiting outside to meet the officers, but it was determined he had fled the scene on foot.

Witnesses told the officers Hadley called them and told them the victim had stopped breathing and fallen out of a chair onto the floor. Court documents say officers observed marks on the victim that were indicative of manual strangulation, as well as scratch marks and broken fingernails. Hadley was located about a block away from the apartment and was found to have a scratch and marks on his arms.

According to court records, Hadley was charged with Class C felony domestic violence-serious bodily injury in February 2024 but entered into a plea agreement in May. Hadley was sentenced to serve five days of a 360-day sentence in the Ward County Jail and was given credit for time served.

Hadley’s sentencing has been scheduled for Aug. 21.