Moorhead man gets 30 years in prison for murdering, dismembering teen roommate

A Moorhead man has been sentenced to more than three decades in prison for the murder and dismemberment of a 19-year-old woman in April 2020. 

Ethan Broad, 28, was convicted of second-degree murder with intent on May 21 and was sentenced to 30.5 years in prison for the murder of Dystenee Avery in Moorhead last year, court documents show. He'll get credit for the 400 days he's already served in jail.

He was sentenced to the maximum prison time allowed by state law after he pleaded guilty to the charge in January. Another second-degree murder charge was dismissed as part of the pleas. 

Warning: Story contains upsetting details.

Broad admitted to hitting Avery, his roommate at the time, over the head with a pipe and then cutting her throat. He then used saws to dismember her body and put them in garbage bags, placing them in a nearby dumpster. 

Avery was reported missing on April 3, 2020. Her remains were found at the Clay County Landfill three weeks later. 

“You treated her like she was trash,” Dystynee Avery's sister, Chloey Avery said on Friday during Broad's sentencing, according to the Forum News Service. "You threw her away as if she wasn’t a person at all, as if her life was worthless."

Chloey Avery noted her sister was vulnerable when she began living with Broad, who promised to take care of her like a sister but then killed her, the publication adds. 

Two others were arrested and charged in connection to Avery's death. Andrea Payne, 27, and David Erno, 23, both of Moorhead, were sentenced to time served and probation for their role in helping Broad cover up Avery's death.