Fargo police: 'Good young man' murdered randomly

Fargo, N.D., police say a man high on methamphetamine murdered two people this week, and one attack appears random.

Officers responded to the first killing on Monday afternoon. They found 45-year-old Clarence Flowers dead with more than 50 stab wounds. Early Tuesday morning, police were called to a second location where 24-year-old Samuel Traut, a Sartell Minn., native, was found beaten to death with a hammer.

Ashley Hunter, 35, faces two felony murder charges. Police say Hunter and Flowers knew each other and had been involved in drug deals.

Traut, however, appears to be a random victim — "A good young man unknowingly opened his door to a monster," Interim Police Chief Dave Todd said.

"We do believe Ashley Hunter was using methamphetamine which produces symptoms such as paranoia and for some reason he ended up at the back door of Samuel Traut's residence," Todd added.

Traut graduated from North Dakota State University in 2013 and took an engineering job in Fargo. He was active at the NDSU Catholic center where he led Bible studies, said the Rev. James Cheney, who called Traut "a man of tremendous courage and virtue."

Police say Hunter has admitted killing both victims.